The auction, inaugurated by Union coal and mines minister G. Kishan Reddy, features 13 blocks spread across the Arabian Sea and Andaman Sea, offering critical minerals such as construction sand, lime-mud, and polymetallic nodules.
The country plans to add 40GW-50GW of coal-based capacity during this period to meet increasing demand, with coal remaining a key source of electricity generation for at least the next 8-10 years.
Coal India Limited (CIL) will develop 36 projects, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) will open seven new mines, and NLC India Limited (NLCIL) will add two mines during this period.
The plan also seeks to reduce road transportation dependency, optimize logistics costs, and lower CO2 emissions by FY2030.
The cumulative Peak Rated Capacity (PRC) of the fully explored mines stands at 14.10 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), the ministry said. The mines are expected to generate an annual revenue of ₹1,446 crore, attract capital investment of ₹2,115 crore, and create 19,063 jobs, excluding partially explored mines.
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Union minister of coal and mines G. Kishan Reddy said the ministry of coal has identified 38 critical railway projects to address challenges related to coal evacuation. Of these, five projects have been commissioned, while three are under construction.
A pact was signed by Vedanta Copper International, a wholly-owned arm of Vedanta Ltd, with the Ministry of Investment and Ministry of Industries & Mineral Resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to set up a 400 kilo tonne per annum (KTPA) greenfield copper smelter and refinery and a 300 kilo tonne per annum (KTPA) copper rod project.
The amendments include using mined out or decoaled land for public utility like setting up nuclear plant and having provision to lease the land for its better utilisation, sources said.
The Ministry of Coal announced on Wednesday that it has successfully auctioned 9 mines as part of the 10th round of commercial coal mine auctions.
This inaugural tranche includes 13 mineral blocks in the Arabian Sea and Andaman Sea, signaling India’s entry into offshore mineral exploration and development.
The "Roadmap for India’s Energy Transition in the Transport Sector" highlights the urgent need for policy interventions to curb emissions and achieve net-zero targets.
