Angul, June 29: While Angul, Odisha is bearing at least 6 coal projects for its rich repository of the black diamond, Maharatna PSU Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd(MCL) is going to launch 2 new coal projects in the district.
The MCL, a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd (CIL), is going to start operations in two new coal mines in the Talcher coalfield area soon, official sources said.
The proposed mines, ready for operation, namely Subhadra and Balabhadra, have coal reserves of 25 million tonnes (MT) and 10 MT, respectively.
The Subhadra mine is expected to become operational by the end of the financial year 2025-26, while the Balabhadra mine is scheduled to start operations latest by the year 2029-30, said MCL’s Chairman and Managing Director, Uday A Kaole.
The operational mines in Angul include Jagannath, Bhubaneswari, Bharatpur, Hingula, Lingaraj, Kaniha and Talcher (UG). Subhadra and Balabhadra will be added to this list.
The MCL currently operates 18 coal mines across Odisha including 15 open-cast mines.
To ensure transparency, the MCL has installed CCTV coverage in 98% of its operational areas, with the remaining 2% to be covered soon. The company also employs AI for real-time tracking of GPS-enabled coal transport vehicles. MCL’s coal reserve of 35 MT secures supply for power generation.
As per the coal production, in FY 2024-25, the MCL produced 225 MT of coal, a 9% increase from the previous year, and dispatched 210 MT, up 6%. About 98% of production comes from eco-friendly surface mines, the highest in India.
Now the MCL aims for net-zero carbon emissions by FY 2029, with ₹17,900 crore invested in renewable energy projects like solar, wind, and pumped storage.
The Maharatna Company targets 239 MT of coal production in FY 2026, aiming for 300 MT by FY 2029-30.
