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Vadodara, Feb 18 () Union Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi has announced that the government looks to stop the substitutable import of thermal coal from 2023-24. The government wants to bridge the substitutable shortfall by 2023-24, he told on the sidelines of a two-day brainstorming session organised at Kevadia in neighbouring Bharuch district, about 90 km from Vadodara. The government recently introduced an ordinance to amend regulations to open up coal mining to other firms outside of the steel and power sectors, Joshi stated. "Whatever the substitutable shortfall is there, we want toachieve it by 2023-2024. We want to stop the substitutable import of the coal." The government may conduct an auction of 100 fully explored blocks, Joshi said.The latest move in the coal sector is expected to create an efficient energy market, thereby bringing more competition, while reducing coal imports.The brainstorming session that started on Monday was organised to discuss out of the box solutions to overcome various bottle necks in increasing coal production and provide innovative solutions to the coal sector, Joshi said. Highlighting key takeaways of the session, Joshi said various ways and means were discussed with key stakeholders to achieve 1 billion tonnes coal production target by Coal India by 2023-24. The ministry of coal will coordinate with Indian Railways and shipping ministry to enable Coal India to evacuate more coal by 2030. Stressing upon the diversification in the coal sector, Joshi said that idea has also been mooted at the session that CIL could think of coming up with the art of pithead thermal power plants to transform it into an integrated company. He said it was also proposed that CIL could generate 5GW of solar power by 2023-24 and could diversify into coal gasification with a target of 5 million tonnes by 2030 enabling a sustainable energy mix for the country. He also announced that the ministry of coal will introduce an award to recognize and appreciate best practices in coal production, productivity, sustainability etc by coal companies. COR RSY MRMR

India looks to stop thermal coal import by 2023-24:Joshi

New Delhi, Jun 18 () India should be the world's largest coal exporters considering the size of reserves it has, and unlocking of coal mining for commercial players is a step in that direction, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. Launching the virtual auction process for 41 coal blocks for commercial mining, expected to garner Rs 33,000 crore of capital investment in the country over next 5-7 years, the Prime Minister said it is a major step in the direction of achieving 'self-reliance'. He also said that the coronavirus pandemic has taught India to be self-reliant. The launch of the auction process not only marks the beginning of unlocking of the country's coal sector from the "lockdown of decades", but aims at making India the largest exporter of coal, PM Modi said. Presently, despite being the world's fourth largest producer, he said India is the second largest importer of the dry-fuel. "The country which in terms of coal reserves is the fourth-largest nation and is the second-largest coal producer, that country is not exporting coal. But is the second largest importer of coal. The big question is when we are the largest producer of the world... If it is true, why can't we be the largest exporter," Modi said. The PM further said, "We are committed to turning the coronavirus crisis into an opportunity." The Prime Minister said that the government has set an aim of gasification of 100 million tonnes of coal by 2030 with an investment of Rs 20,000 crore. "We have kept an aim that by the year 2030, which means in this decade, around 100 million tonnes of coal should be gasified... For this, four projects have been identified and in them around Rs 20,000 crore would be invested." Lambasting past policies of keeping the sector closed and pointing out towards controversies and scams that shrouded the sector in the past, he said that now there is full transparency in auctions with a wide set of reforms. Commercial coal block auction will be a win-win for industry users, and new resources will open up with states getting more revenue and employment, he said. The PM said that the government has taken important decision to open up coal, mining sector to competition, capital and technology and termed it a major step in the direction of India achieving 'self-reliance'. The PM said that this auction process will result in major revenues to states and create employment besides development of the far-flung tribal areas. The commencement of auction process of these blocks, part of the series of announcements made under 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan', are likely to contribute Rs 20,000 crore revenues annually to the state governments. In line with the Prime Minister's self-reliance call, the aim behind the auction process is to achieve self-sufficiency in meeting energy needs and boost industrial development. The government has taken an important decision to open up coal, mining sector to competition, capital and technology, he said. Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi, who was also be present during the launch event, said Rs 50,000 crore is being invested in the sector to jack up India's coal output to 1 billion tonnes. With a view to achieve self-reliance in the coal sector, the Ministry of Coal in association with FICCI launched the process of auction of 41 coal mines under the provisions of Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act and Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. Upon attainment of peak rated capacity of production of 225 million tonnes (MT), the government said, these mines will contribute about 15 per cent of the country's projected total coal production in 2025-26. It will also lead to employment generation for more than 2.8 lakh people -- direct employment to approximately 70,000 people and indirect employment to approximately 2,10,000 people, as per the government. Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekharan also attended the launch event. The decision was taken during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while announcing the stimulus package for the coronavirus-hit economy, had said coal mines would be auctioned to the private sector for commercial mining to end reliance on imports and improve local production. The methodology approved by the CCEA provides that bid parameter will be revenue-share, the government had said, adding that bidders would be required to bid for a percentage share of revenue payable to the government. SID NAM ANZ NAM ANS ANS

India should aim to become world's largest coal exporter: PM at launch of commercial coal mining

New Delhi, May 16 () Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced commercial mining of coal by the private sector, ending government monopoly on the sector. In her fourth tranche of the economic package, she said commercial mining will be done on revenue sharing mechanism instead of the regime of fixed rupee/tonne. Nearly 50 blocks will be offered for bidding, she said. This is being done to reduce import of substitutable coal and increase self-reliance in coal production. Also, the government will invest Rs 50,000 crore for building evacuation infrastructure. Coal gasification and liquefication will be incentivised through rebate in revenue sharing, she said adding coal bed methane (CBM) production would also be encouraged. JD ANZ MRMR

Commercial mining of coal on revenue share basis: FM

New Delhi, June 18 () Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched the auction process for 41 coal blocks for commercial mining, a move that opens India's coal sector for private players, and termed it a major step in the direction of India achieving self-reliance. Launching the auction of mines for commercial mining, that is expected to garner Rs 33,000 crore of capital investment in the country over next five to seven years, the Prime Minister said India will win the coronavirus war and turn this crisis into an opportunity, and the pandemic will make India self-reliant. The launch of the auction process not only marks the beginning of unlocking of the country's coal sector from the "lockdown of decades", but aims at making India the largest exporter of coal, the Prime Minister said. Presently, despite being the world's fourth largest producer, he said India is the second largest importer of the dry-fuel. "Allowing private sector in commercial coal mining is unlocking resources of a nation with the world's fourth-largest reserves," he pointed out. Major scams had taken place in coal action earlier, but the system has been made "transparent" now, PM said lambasting past policies of keeping the sector closed. The PM said that this auction process will result in major revenues to states and create employment besides developing the far-flung areas. The commencement of auction process of these blocks, part of the series of announcements made under 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan', is likely to contribute Rs 20,000 crore revenues annually to the state governments. In line with the Prime Minister's self-reliance call, the aim behind the auction process is to achieve self-sufficiency in meeting energy needs and boosting industrial development. The government has taken an important decision to open up coal and mining sector to competition, capital and technology, he said. Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi, who was also be present during the launch event, said Rs 50,000 crore is being invested in the sector to jack up India's coal output to 1 billion tonne. With a view to achieve self-reliance in the coal sector, the Ministry of Coal in association with FICCI launched the process of auction of 41 coal mines under the provisions of Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act and Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. Upon attainment of peak rated capacity of production of 225 million tonnes (MT), the government said, these mines will contribute about 15 per cent of the country's projected total coal production in 2025-26. It will also lead to employment generation for more than 2.8 lakh people -- direct employment to approximately 70,000 people and indirect employment to approximately 2,10,000 people, as per the government. SID NAM ANZ NAM ANS ANS

PM Modi launches auction process for 41 coal blocks for commercial mining

New Delhi, Jun 18 () Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) on Thursday lauded the government's move to launch auction process for 41 coal blocks for commercial mining, saying that it will help create employment in the country. In a statement, its Chairman Naveen Jindal said the reforms will help make the domestic steel and mines sector more competitive resulting in the creation of employment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched the auction process for 41 coal blocks for commercial mining, a move that opens India's coal sector for private players, and termed it a major step in the direction of India achieving self-reliance. Launching the auction of blocks for commercial mining, which is expected to garner Rs 33,000 crore of capital investment in the country over the next 5-7 years, the prime minister said India will win the coronavirus war and turn this crisis into an opportunity, and the pandemic will make India self-reliant. Currently, despite being the world's fourth-largest producer, he said India is the second-largest importer of the dry fuel. "I thank PM Narendra Modi for taking the coal sector out of decades of lockdown. These reforms will make the sector more competitive and generate large-scale employment," Jindal said. India has one of the largest reserves of coal in the world, he said adding that its gasification can help our country overcome the perennial shortage of oil, gas, methanol, ammonia and urea, and help reduce imports. The prime minister's announcement to gasify 100 million tonnes (MT) of coal by 2030 will be a big boost to coal gasification in India and fulfil vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' using clean coal technology, he added. Jindal further said, "JSPL is the first company in India to build coal gasification plant and the first in the world to produce direct reduced iron (DRI)/steel using swadeshi coal." JSPL Managing Director V R Sharman had earlier said India has coal reserves for another 300 years and the time is ripe to use the reserve. Coal can be converted into syngas (synthetic gas), which can be used for producing petrol, diesel and other petroleum products, that can reduce dependence on crude oil imports, he said. JSPL is already using the technology at its Angul plant in Odisha. It is India's first and only plant producing steel from swadeshi coal using the coal gasification technology. ABI HRS

Commercial mining of coal to create employment: JSPL

New Delhi, Jan 15 () The government on Wednesday said it is initiating the process of coal auctions and the first round of sale of blocks under commercial mining is proposed to be launched in the ongoing fiscal.
The announcement comes days after the government approved an ordinance to ease mining laws that will allow global players to enter the coal sector.
 A company or a joint venture company incorporated in India is eligible to participate in commercial coal auctions, the coal ministry said in a statement.
"Moving ahead after the recent amendments in MMDR Act 1957 and the CMSP Act 2015, the Ministry of Coal is initiating the process for auction of coal mines for sale of coal. Expected to be held in multiple tranches, the first tranche is proposed to be launched in the current financial year," it said.
 The bidders would be required to bid for a percentage share of revenue payable to the government. The floor price shall be four per cent of the revenue share, the statement added.
 The government has released a list of 74 mines which it plans to auction under commercial mining.
 The ministry said it has urged interested stakeholders to view the discussion paper and the mine specific details and submit their views/suggestions, indicate their preferences for the mines to be considered for auction under the first tranche.
 The ordinance approved by the Cabinet last week also enables auction of unexplored and partially explored coal blocks for mining through prospecting license-cum-mining lease.
 These steps are expected to result in opening up of the coal sector completely for commercial mining to local as well as global firms. This would further boost economic growth and employment generation. SID ANU

Centre begins commercial coal auction process

New Delhi, Jan 26 () In line with its plans to open up the country's coal sector, the government has called meetings with various stakeholders to discuss the draft methodology as well as key bidding terms and conditions for auction of coal mines for commercial mining.
This meeting will be held in Kolkata and Mumbai on January 28 and 29, respectively, the coal ministry said in a notice.
"All interested stakeholders are encouraged to view the discussion paper
and the mine specific details and attend the stakeholder's consultation meet," it said.
The notice said that the process for auction of coal mines for sale
of coal under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 and the Mines and
Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, has been initiated.
 "A discussion paper containing the draft methodology and key bidding terms and conditions on the auction of coal mines for sale of coal has already been uploaded on the website of Ministry of Coal," it said adding that in this regard, "roundtable meetings for stakeholders' consultation" are scheduled on January 28 and 29, 2020.
Earlier, this month the government had said that it is initiating the process of coal auctions and the first round of sale of blocks under commercial mining is proposed to be launched in the ongoing fiscal. 
The announcement came days after the government approved an ordinance to ease coal mining laws that will see more local and global players enter the Indian coal sector.
A company or a joint venture company incorporated in India is eligible to participate in commercial coal auctions, the coal ministry had said in a statement.
"Moving ahead after the recent amendments in MMDR Act 1957 and the CMSP Act 2015, the Ministry of Coal is initiating the process for auction of coal mines for sale of coal. Expected to be held in multiple tranches, the first tranche is proposed to be launched in the current financial year," the government said said.
The bidders would be required to bid for a percentage share of revenue payable to the government. The floor price shall be four per cent of the revenue share, the coal ministry notice said.
The government has released a list of 74 mines which it plans to auction under commercial mining.
The ministry had said it has urged interested stakeholders to view the discussion paper and the mine specific details and submit their views/suggestions, indicate their preferences for the mines to be considered for auction under the first tranche. SID MKJ

Consultative meetings with stakeholders to discuss methodology for commercial coal mining on Jan 28-29

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Biden administration proposed steep pollution cuts by coal- and gas-fired power plants. </li><li>Most US electricity comes from fossil fuels — the sector creates 25% of the nation's emissions.</li></ul>Coal, like the fossilized plants and animals it's made of, could one day become a relic of America's past.Most of the country's more than <a href="https://www.epa.gov/power-sector/power-plants-and-neighboring-communities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3,400 fossil-fuel power plants</a> would have to nearly eliminate their planet-warming greenhouse-gas emissions by 2040 <a href="https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/greenhouse-gas-standards-and-guidelines-fossil-fuel-fired-power#rule-summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">under a proposal announced</a> by the Environmental Protection Agency last week. The plan is the latest move by the Biden administration to curb emissions that are fueling the climate crisis. The transportation and electricity sectors are the two largest sources of emissions, with the former accounting for 28% and the latter 25%, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#:~:text=The%20largest%20source%20of%20greenhouse,Greenhouse%20Gas%20Emissions%20and%20Sinks." target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the EPA</a>. The White House is already pushing for a move to electric vehicles to <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-proposes-strongest-ever-pollution-standards-cars-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduce emissions from tailpipes</a>.Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy is key to cutting emissions in half this decade and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with preindustrial levels. Climate scientists <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/chapter/summary-for-policymakers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warn that crossing that temperature threshold</a> would have catastrophic effects such as heat waves, flooding, drought, crop failures, and food insecurity. The world, on average, is <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/world-of-change/global-temperatures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already at least 1.1 degrees</a> Celsius warmer.The EPA estimated that its power-plant proposal would avoid up to 617 million metric tons of carbon-dioxide emissions through 2042 — about the annual emissions of half the cars on the road in the US today. The plan would also put the Biden administration closer to its climate goals.Coal and natural gas <a href="https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&amp;t=6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supply the majority of US electricity</a>, although emissions from the power sector <a href="https://www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis/greenhouse-gas-reporting-electric-utilities-sector" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have been declining over the past decade</a> as more natural gas and renewables such as solar and wind have been added to the grid and as coal plants close. Natural gas is cleaner than coal, but it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas that has more than <a href="https://www.edf.org/climate/methane-crucial-opportunity-climate-fight#:~:text=Methane%20has%20more%20than%2080,after%20it%20reaches%20the%20atmosphere" target="_blank" rel="noopener">80 times the warming power</a> of carbon dioxide over the first two decades it's in the atmosphere.Coal plants could also opt to shut down in the first half of the 2030s to avoid meeting most or even all pollution caps. Further closures would continue <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=54559" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the trend that's already playing out in the coal sector</a>.Here are the 15 states where coal accounts for the largest source of power as of 2021, <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=54919" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the US Energy Information Administration</a>:West Virginia — 91%Missouri — 75%Wyoming — 74%Kentucky — 71%Utah — 62%Indiana — 58%North Dakota — 57%Nebraska — 50%Montana — 44%Wisconsin — 43%Colorado — 42%New Mexico — 36%Arkansas — 35%Michigan — 32%Minnesota — 27%

The US wants to cut carbon emissions from power plants. Here are the 15 states where coal is king.

New Delhi, Apr 21 () India is planning to bring 'avoidable coal imports' to zero by 2023-24 amid abundance of fuel stock due to subdued demand by the power sector in the wake of the coronavirus-driven lockdown, according to a source. The source, on the condition of anonymity, said the "government is planning to bring down to zero the country's avoidable coal import by 2023-24". This comes at a time when the country's coal imports increased marginally by 3.2 per cent to 242.97 million tonnes (MT) in the just-concluded financial year 2019-20. Of the total, 110 MT of fuel was unavoidable import, while the remaining nearly 130 MT is avoidable import, the source said. The government is planning to reduce "this avoidable coal import by 25-30 per cent in the ongoing fiscal', the source said. This unavoidable coal import consisted of coking coal and coal with low-ash content. According to industry experts, India does not have much coking coal, which steel plants use to mix into iron to produce steel, and so has to import. "The coastal power plants have boilers which are designed in such a way that they use low-ash coal," the source said. Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi recently wrote to chief ministers of all states asking them to not import dry fuel and take domestic supply of fuel from state-owned CIL, which has the fossil fuel in abundance. To give a boost to coal demand hit by the ongoing lockdown, the government has also announced a slew of measures like increased dry fuel supply for linkage consumers. The ministry also approved relaxation in quantity of coal for linkage consumers. It also announced that no performance incentive shall be levied on power consumers if CIL supplies more than the upper limit of fuel supply agreement (FSA). About 80 per cent of India's domestic coal production comes from CIL. CIL recorded an all-time high coal output of 84.36 MT during March 2020, registering 6.5 per cent growth compared to 79.19 MT it produced in March 2019. Coming back strongly in the last quarter of 2019-20, CIL clocked a robust 9.9 per cent production growth compared to same quarter of 2018-19. The firm produced 213.71 MT of coal during January-March 2020, an increase of 19.26 MT in volume terms as compared to 194.45 MT in the fourth quarter of 2018-19. SID HRS

Lockdown: India's avoidable coal imports to be brought down to zero

New Delhi, Feb 23 () Companies including Tata Steel, JSW Steel and Adani Power among others have requested the government to ensure that the blocks proposed to be auctioned for commercial coal mining should have prior-environmental clearance, so that issues like 'inviolate areas' does not crop up during the development of these blocks. Inviolate areas are sights of significance for conservation of biodiversity (flora and fauna) and forest types that are unique and ecologically important. In the stakeholders' meeting held last month to discuss methodology for commercial coal mining, the participants made some general observations and requested that "the mines may be cleared from the environmental angle so that issues like safety zones, inviolate areas may not crop up later during development of mines," a source said. Some prominent players who participated in the meeting were Tata Steel, JSW Steel, Adani Power, JSPL, Hindalco and GMR Power among others. During the meeting, the stakeholders also requested that sufficient large mines should be earmarked for the industry, instead of numerous small mines, the source said. The participants were also of the view that the "terms and conditions are liberal and conform to the government's intentions of opening up the Indian coal sector," the source added. The government had called meetings with various stakeholders to discuss the draft methodology as well as key bidding terms and conditions for auction of coal mines for commercial mining. Earlier, the government had said that it is initiating the process of coal auctions and the first round of sale of blocks under commercial mining is proposed to be launched in the ongoing fiscal. The announcement came days after the government approved an ordinance to ease coal mining laws that will see more local and global players enter the Indian coal sector. A company or a joint venture company incorporated in India is eligible to participate in commercial coal auctions, the coal ministry had said. "Moving ahead after the recent amendments in MMDR Act 1957 and the CMSP Act 2015, the Ministry of Coal is initiating the process for auction of coal mines for sale of coal. Expected to be held in multiple tranches, the first tranche is proposed to be launched in the current financial year," the government had said. The bidders would be required to bid for a percentage share of revenue payable to the government. The floor price shall be four per cent of the revenue share, the coal ministry notice had said. The government has released a list of 74 mines which it plans to auction under commercial mining. The ministry had said it has urged interested stakeholders to view the discussion paper and the mine specific details and submit their views/ suggestions, indicating their preferences for the mines to be considered for auction under the first tranche. SID DRR

Blocks for commercial coal mining should be pre-cleared from environmental angle: Cos tell Govt

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11911392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coal" source="Orion">Coal</keyword> prices have nearly tripled in 2021, with analysts pointing to a confluence of factors.</li><li>It's fueling an <keyword id="11917806" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="energy" source="Orion">energy</keyword> crisis in <keyword id="11892748" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="china" source="Orion">China</keyword> and threatening the supply chains of companies like Apple and Tesla.</li><li>The Chinese government has begun to slash power use in certain sectors, including the stainless steel and ceramics industries.</li></ul>Coal prices have nearly tripled in 2021, fueling an energy crisis in China and threatening the supply chains of companies including <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/aapl-stock">Apple</a> and <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/tsla-stock">Tesla</a>.Coal <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/future/mtfc00/charts?mod=mw_quote_advanced">futures</a> contracts have surged 31% in September and over 190% so far this year, driven by voracious demand and restricted supply. That has precipitated an electricity crisis in China, which gets around 70% of its power from coal sources.Analysts have pointed to a confluence of factors to explain soaring coal prices. Chief among them is that Chinese coal production growth has lagged at just 6% so far this year, compared to a 14% rise in coal-fired power output over the same period, according to <a href="https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/akvezqybgpr/CHINA%20COAL%20PRODUCTION%20AND%20CONSUMPTION.pdf">Reuters</a>. That's come as Beijing has targeted steep carbon emission reductions.In addition, while China could simply tap its 30% of non-coal energy sources, renewables like hydroelectric power have faltered in recent weeks due to one-off weather events. Meanwhile, municipalities have been hoarding coal ahead of an often-harsh winter season. And importing coal has become political, after Beijing blocked Australian coal imports for demanding an investigation into the origins of COVID-19. Strict border controls in China make the problem worse.Longer term, expectations that green-energy sources will displace coal have limited investment in new mines, meaning little spare capacity exists to make up for shortfalls in production elsewhere. "The result has been a severe depletion of coal inventories which has contributed to low stocks at many power plants and upward pressure on coal prices," wrote Reuters analyst John Kemp on Tuesday.Amid the soaring coal prices, the Chinese government has begun to slash power use in certain sectors, including the stainless steel and ceramics industries. At least 20 regions have announced some degree of power curb, according to Chinese-language industry publication BJX Power.The crisis has begun to spill into the operations of US companies that make goods in China, including Apple and Tesla. A key Apple manufacturer said on Monday that its factories were being hit by the mandatory power curbs, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-27/iphone-assembler-starts-energy-saving-measures-in-china">Bloomberg</a>, while Tesla suppliers were <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Key-Apple-Tesla-suppliers-halt-production-amid-China-power-crunch">reporting</a> similar impacts.The state has usually preferred to cut industrial electricity use before it begins barging into consumers' lives. Fixed prices for electricity leave power plants with little incentive to boost output. But some voices are now advocating raising electricity prices to combat the shortfall. "It should be clear that electricity is a type of commodity," Wang Gaofeng, a writer at a Chinese energy magazine, <a href="https://shoudian.bjx.com.cn/html/20210928/1179275.shtml">wrote</a> on WeChat in Mandarin. "Having ups and downs is a market law, and a thousand years without movement is not normal!"

Coal prices are skyrocketing as an energy crisis in China rages

The Indian <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=power+sector&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">power sector</a> has been abuzz since the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=NDA+government+&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">NDA government </a>took over. 
 From announcing UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana) to boosting domestic <keyword id="500152" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coal-supply">coal supply</keyword>, ramping up the country’s ailing transmission networks offering subsidized gas to plants, several initiatives have been introduced. 
 
EESL’s Managing Director Saurabh Kumar told Business Insider the current government’s efforts are ‘laudable’ in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the Energy Infra Post launch. 
 “The <keyword id="6385673" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="power-sector">power sector</keyword> has transformed in the last 2 years, after the new government came in. Coal production has gone up, supply has improved, and attempts are being made to improve transmission lines. That’s laudable”, Kumar told reporters. 
 
Domestic <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=coal+supply&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">coal supply</a> has improved and international coal prices have fallen over the last two years. Thermal power, which accounts for approx 70% of the country’s power generation, rose around 5% to 943 billion units in 2015-16. The country’s thermal power capacity has shot up more than 11% to 2,10,675 MW by March 2016. 
 
According to the government’s targets, the country’s transmission lines network will be expanded to a further 3,64,900 cKm by March 2017. The addition of 2,49,400 MVA transformation capacity during 2012-16, has been the highest ever in the country’s history. 
 
When asked about the country’s power challenges, Kumar said, “Wind power is under-utilized, renewable power should be more widely adopted and we’ll have to bring focus back to hydro-electric power. Coal and gas-based power plants must also be revived.” 
 
The current government has been conducting auctions to revive stranded gas-based plants. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

‘India’s Power sector has
transformed in the last 2 years’: EESL MD
Saurabh Kumar

<table class="image-container float_right" width="200"><tr><td><div class="image"></div><a href="http://investors.csx.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=92932&amp;p=irol-reportsannual">CSX</a></td></tr></table>Rail giant CSX announced Q4 earnings of $0.43 per share, which is higher than the $0.39 per share expected.
Norfolk Southern also announced earnings better than expected. Earnings came in at $1.30 per share. Analysts were looking for $1.19 per share.
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/csx-and-norfolk-southern-q4-earnings-2013-1">Click Here For Updates &gt;</a>
Railroaders move a wide array of goods across the country including energy, lumber and automobiles. As such, they are considered reliable bellwethers of the <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword>.
From <a href="http://investors.csx.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=92932&amp;p=irol-newsArticle&amp;ID=1776751&amp;highlight=">CSX</a>:
For the quarter, total revenue of $2.9 billion declined 2 percent. The company saw an increase in merchandise and intermodal shipments, but these gains were more than offset by declines in coal resulting from low natural gas prices, high coal inventory at utilities and lower global demand. As a result of the lower revenue, which was partially offset by strong efficiency gains, operating income declined 4 percent to $804 million and the operating ratio increased 60 basis points to 72.1 percent.
A similar sentiment was shared by <a href="http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/Investors/Financial_Reports/Quarterly_Earnings_Releases/">Norfolk Southern</a>:
While the fourth quarter reflected declines in coal shipments, we also saw steady intermodal volume gains coupled with improved volumes in our chemicals, auto, and housing sectors,
Both stocks are higher in after-hours trading.
SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/americas-most-controversial-stocks-2013-1">The 22 Most Controversial Stocks In America &gt;</a>

Rail Giants CSX And Norfolk Southern Both Beat Expectations

Ahead of <keyword id="6360189" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Union-Budget">Union Budget</keyword> 2016 which Finance Minister <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword> will announce on February 29, Indian power producers have proposed to the government a slew of tax benefits to incentivise investments in the sector. 
 
In a letter to the ministries of finance, coal and power Independent Power Producers Association of India (IPPAI) asked the government to extend a 10-year tax holiday to companies that start power generation by March 31, 2020. 
 
“Industry players have called for the extension of the sunset tax clause for power companies to include plants that provide power till March 2020 as opposed to 2017 earlier,” said the letter. 
 
The association has also asked for minimum alternate tax to be reduced to 10 per cent. With regards to coking coal, IPPAI has asked for reduction in customs duty on it. 
 
“Import duty of coking coal had been increased to 2.5 per cent in the Budget for 2014-15.” It said a negligible quantity of coking coal was available domestically, and therefore called for duty on it to be exempt. 
 
IPPAI has also contested the clean energy cess levied on thermal power producers asking that it should be restricted to only those power producers who do not adopt clean technologies / modernise their plants. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

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