April coal output falls 16.5% to 46.5 MT

Coal production in the country fell 16.5% year-on-year (y-o-y) to 46.5 million tonn (MT) in April with output from Coal India (CIL) falling 11%, SCCL by 46% and captive production dropping 37% annually to 40.4 MT, 3 MT and 3.1 MT respectively, as power plants did not lift the fuel from the mines in the wake of low electricity demand.

The development comes after all India coal production inched up 0.05% in FY20, the lowest growth rate in at least 20 years, to 729.1 MT.