New Delhi: Coal India Ltd (CIL) on Friday announced a series of measures to boost coal availability for non-regulated sector (NRS) consumers and improve operational flexibility, as part of efforts to reduce import dependence and meet rising industrial demand.
The state-run miner in a statement said it will offer a record 35 million tonnes of coal under its linkage auction window scheduled for June 12, targeting high-grade coal consumers such as the sponge iron sector. The move is expected to curb imports of high gross calorific value coal.
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CIL has also allowed steel producers in the coking coal segment to sell coal middlings -- a byproduct of washed coal -- in the open market if not used for captive power generation. The provision has been enabled under the ongoing Tranche-X linkage auctions that began on June 3.
The company said it has offered 13.75 million tonnes of coal to the steel (coking) sub-sector in the current tranche and increased flexibility for consortium changes during contract periods to five times, up from two earlier.
