BCCL Plans Major Expansion in Coking Coal Production and Washery Capacity by 2030 – Indian PSU

Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, has unveiled an ambitious roadmap to significantly enhance its coking coal production and coal washery capacity by 2030, aiming to strengthen domestic steel manufacturing and reduce India’s dependence on imported coking coal.

BCCL has set a target to increase its annual coal production from the current level of around 40.5 million tonnes (MT) to 54–55 MT by FY2030. The expansion will be achieved through the development of new mines and the scaling up of existing mining projects.

As part of the strategy, the company plans to nearly double its coal washery capacity from the present 13.65 MT to 27–28 MT. Three new washeries are proposed to be established, enabling the production of higher-quality washed coking coal for the steel industry.

The enhanced washery infrastructure is expected to substantially improve coal quality and increase the availability of washed coking coal. BCCL plans to allocate a significant portion of the additional production to steel manufacturers, potentially increasing coking coal supplies to the sector nearly six-fold to 9–10 MT annually.

The company has also set an ambitious revenue target of approximately ₹20,000 crore by 2030. Industry experts believe that successful implementation of the expansion programme could significantly reduce India’s coking coal import bill while supporting the growth of the domestic steel sector.

Coal Ministry Reviews Production and Logistics Challenges

Amid rising energy demand, the Ministry of Coal has intensified efforts to strengthen coal production and transportation infrastructure across the country. A high-level review meeting was held with senior officials of Coal India and its subsidiaries to assess production performance, coal quality, logistics, and supply chain efficiency.

The meeting was chaired by Union Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy, who reviewed operational challenges faced by various coal companies and discussed measures required to address them. The discussions focused on improving operational efficiency, enhancing infrastructure, and ensuring sustainable growth of the coal sector.

The ministry reiterated that uninterrupted coal availability and efficient transportation remain critical priorities for maintaining India’s energy security.

First Mile Connectivity Projects to Gain Momentum

The review also focused on the progress of the Mechanised Coal Evacuation First Mile Connectivity (FMC) projects. A total of 103 projects are planned to create coal handling capacity of 1,339 MT.

These projects are expected to reduce dependence on road transportation, improve coal quality preservation during transit, lower logistics costs, and contribute to environmental sustainability through reduced dust emissions and vehicular movement.

Additional Railway Rakes Sought for Faster Coal Transportation

To further accelerate coal evacuation, the ministry has requested additional railway rakes from Indian Railways. The demand includes 15 additional rakes per day for Mahanadi Coalfields Limited over the existing allocation of 102 rakes and five additional rakes for South Eastern Coalfields Limited beyond the current allocation of 60 rakes per day.

These coalfields together contribute nearly 51 percent of Coal India’s total coal dispatch. The ministry emphasized the need for timely completion of rail infrastructure projects and prioritization of rake availability for silo loading operations to improve efficiency and coal evacuation capacity.