Recent Initiatives for faster Coal Movement

Source: The post is based on the article “Recent Initiatives for faster Coal Movement” published in “PIB” on 18th December 2023.

Why in the News?

The Union Minister of Coal has informed Lok Sabha about the initiatives taken for the faster movement of Coal.

What are the steps taken for the faster movement of coal?

1) India Climate Energy Dashboard(ICED): It was launched by Niti Aayog. It is a one-stop platform for near real-time data on the energy sector, climate and related economic datasets based on government published sources. 

2) India Energy Security Scenarios (IESS) 2047: It is an Energy Modelling tool developed by NITI Aayog. According to it, the future energy supply is projected to grow in the range of 3.3% to 3.5% under net-zero and Business as Usual(BAU) scenarios respectively.

3) Dedicated Freight Corridors(DFCs): The Ministry of Railways is building two Dedicated Freight Corridors – Eastern and Western. The Eastern one is completed. It will facilitate faster movement of coal from eastern part of the country for the Thermal Powerhouses located in northern hinterland.

4) Railway Projects: Ongoing railway projects support coal transportation, facilitating quicker movement.

5) Ministry of Coal Initiatives:

a) Regular reviews to expedite new and existing coal mining projects.

b) Amendment to allow captive mines owners to sell up to 50% of their annual mineral (including coal) production in the open market after meeting the requirement of the end use plant linked with the mine.

c) Single Window Clearance portal for faster coal mine operationalisation.

d) Project Monitoring Unit for hand-holding coal block allottees.

e) Auction of commercial mining on a revenue sharing basis with incentives for early production and coal gasification/liquefaction.

f) Liberal terms for commercial coal mining (no utilisation restrictions, open to new companies, reduced upfront costs, transparent bidding, 100% FDI, revenue sharing model).

UPSC Syllabus: Science and Technology