India has the world’s fourth-largest coal reserve. It is the second-biggest producer of fossil fuel behind China and is home to the world’s biggest coal miner, Coal India, which accounts for 80% of the country’s domestic output.
The minable capacity of already allocated coal blocks is around 15% to 20% higher than the expected demand in 2030.
So why, year after year, India’s power plants face coal shortages that lead to widespread power outages leaving parts of the country in the dark and industries in a limbo. There are several factors.
India has had a long-standing policy to minimise imports of coal. In February 2020, Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi had said that the country would stop importing thermal coal from 2023-24.
