Coal India (CIL) on Monday reported an 8 per cent growth in production in the first quarter of 2024-25 at 189.3 million tonnes (mt). Production of coal by the public sector miner during the corresponding previous period was 175.5 mt.

Production during the quarter was ahead of the target of 189.2 mt. “While all seven producing arms of CIL achieved positive growth, five of them have breached their respective targets,” Coal India said in a statement.

Coal output for the month of June was 63 mt, growing around 9 per cent over 58 mt in the corresponding month of the previous year.

Total coal supplies during the quarter were at 198.4 mt, a 6 per cent year-on-year increase over 187 mt in the corresponding previous quarter.

Production growth and increased coal loading helped the supply situation.

The public sector miner said amid rising demand for power, supplies to the coal fired plants grew 4 per cent to 160 mt during the first quarter of 2024-25 with a year-on-year jump of 6 mt. Supplies to the non-power sector were at 38.4 mt — a 16 per cent year-on-year growth.

“On an average, CIL loaded 325.7 rakes per day to the power sector during the first three months of the current financial year. This was 19 rakes more per day compared with the 306.7 rakes that CIL loaded in the first quarter of FY24 — marking a growth of 6 per cent,” the statement said. One rake corresponds to approximately 4,000 tonnes of coal.

The total average coal loading registered a growth of 10.3 per cent year-on-year at 367.2 rakes per day, which for the comparative period last year was 333 rakes per day.

Inventory at its pitheads was at 81.5 mt at the end of the first quarter, 40 per cent higher than 58 mt for the comparative period of last year, providing sufficient buffer to meet a sudden rise in demand.

Coal India stocks at ₹474.80 were up 0.36 per cent over the previous close on the BSE on Monday.