New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) Government-owned mining giant Coal India Ltd has recorded a 7.6 per cent increase in coal supplies to 384.2 million tonnes (MT) during the first six months of financial year 2026-27 (April-September), compared with 357.0 MT in the same period of the previous financial year, according to an official statement issued on Monday.
The momentum strengthened considerably in the second quarter, with CIL’s Q2 offtake rising to 186.04 MT, compared with 166.04 MT in Q2 of FY 2025-26, representing a growth of 12.05 per cent. September provided a stronger signal. CIL’s total coal supplies during the month rose to 61.20 MT, against 54.40 MT in September 2025, registering a growth of 12.5 per cent, the statement said.
The recent performance of CIL demonstrates a clear strengthening of the coal supply chain. FY 2026-27 has witnessed a marked improvement in coal offtake and power-sector supplies supported by enhanced evacuation, better synchronisation of production and despatch, and utilisation of accumulated pithead stocks, the statement said.
CIL liquidated 63 MT of pithead coal stocks during the first half of FY 2026-27, demonstrating that increased supply was supported not only by current production but also by better inventory utilisation.
During H1 FY 2026-27, CIL’s coal despatch to the power sector stood at 302.8 MT, compared with 285.4 MT during H1 FY 2025-26. This represents an increase of 17.4 MT or 6.1 per cent.
In other words, nearly 79 per cent of CIL’s total H1 offtake was directed towards the power sector, reaffirming the primacy of power generation in CIL’s distribution strategy.
CIL posted an 11 per cent increase in coal supplied to the power sector in Q2 FY 2026-27 at 148.20 MT, up from 133.50 MT in Q2 of the previous year.
September stands out as a particularly strong month for CIL. Supplies to the power sector increased by 10.63 per cent from 44.20 MT in September 2025 to 48.90 MT in September 2026. At the same time, overall CIL coal supplies increased by 12.5 per cent.
The distribution data also shows the intensity of the daily supply effort. During September 2026, CIL’s power-sector despatch aggregated approximately 48.99 MT, equivalent to an average of around 1.63 MT per day. The first seven days averaged about 1.51 MT/day, while the last seven days averaged about 1.59 MT/day—an improvement of roughly 5 per cent in daily throughput towards the end of the month.
CIL has been able to sustain high-volume daily supplies during the closing phase of the monsoon period and into the post-monsoon operating window.
The improvement in coal supply is reflected in higher power generation during the first half of FY 2026-27. Domestic coal-based power generation increased by 9.9 per cent to 640.05 BU in H1 FY 2026-27, compared with 582.5 BU during the corresponding period of FY 2025-26.
CIL’s distribution architecture has progressively evolved from a predominantly linkage-based framework into a more diversified and responsive system. Power-sector requirements continue to be served principally through Fuel Supply Agreements and linkage mechanisms, while short-term requirements can be supported through other market-based channels. At the same time, linkage rationalisation, digital systems, consumer-facing portals and improved logistics have contributed to greater supply flexibility and efficiency, the statement added.
–IANS
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