Mumbai: Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi today said the government wants to minimize the import of thermal coal and make the country AtmaNirbhar in this sector.
He was addressing an investor’s meet, which was held in Mumbai today, to invite private companies to operate 20 closed/discontinued underground coal mines and bring them into production.
Stating that the demand for coal is on the rise, the minister said extractable reserve in these closed/discontinued coal mines is around 380 million tonnes. Besides increasing coal supply, reopening these mines will also create employment opportunities. Emphasizing that coal gasification is a cleaner option, Mr. Joshi urged industry members to think about ‘coal to hydrogen’ conversion.
Minister of State for Coal, Mines & Railways Raosaheb Danve said the government aims to increase domestic coal production to 1.2 billion metric tonnes by FY 23-24.
The Investor Meet was attended by key stakeholders like Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited-BHEL, Hindalco, Adani, Jindal Steel and Power Limited-JSPL, Reliance Industries, Tata Consulting Engineers Limited, Ultra Tech Cement, Vedanta and other leading industry players.
