Whalesbook
Global market mein energy supply ko lekar tension badh rahi hai, khas kar West Asia mein chal rahe events ki wajah se. Is situation ne gas aur LNG jaise fuels ko tight kar diya hai, jiski wajah se imported coal ke rates bhi skyrocket kar rahe hain. Aise time mein India ko apne domestic coal par zyada rely karna chahiye tha, par Coal India Limited (CIL) ke andar bhi situation mix hai.
Kai units ne FY26 mein production drop kiya hai. Sabse zyada girawat Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) mein dekhi gayi, jahan output 12.3% kam ho gaya. Uske baad, Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) ka 6.1% output gira, Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL) 8.8% neeche aaya, aur Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) bhi 3% peeche reh gaya.
Haan, kuch units ne accha perform bhi kiya hai. South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) ne 5.3% zyada production kiya aur Northern Coalfields Ltd (NCL) 1.1% upar raha. Lekin yeh positive numbers itne nahi the ki overall picture ko sambhal paayein. CIL ka total production FY26 mein 1.7% kam hokar 768.1 million tonnes pe aa gaya, jo pichle saal 781.1 million tonnes tha.
Yeh sab tab ho raha hai jab India ki coal demand toh badh hi rahi hai, aur global disruptions ki wajah se imported fuel bhi mehenga ho raha hai. Is situation mein domestic production ka kam hona energy security ke liye ek bada concern hai.
Former power secretary Anil Razdan ka kehna hai ki sirf production targets poore karne par focus karne se kaam nahi chalega, agar proper storage facilities nahi hain toh coal kharab ho sakta hai aur supply chain mein dikkat aur badh sakti hai.
CIL desh ka 80% se zyada coal supply karta hai, aur abhi tak publicly koi badi shortage ki reports nahi hai contracted supplies ko lekar. Razdan ko umeed hai ki CIL aur private players milkar summer ki peak electricity demand aur monsoon ko handle karne ke liye sufficient stock bana lenge.
Lekin Coal India ke ex-CMD Sutirtha Bhattacharya ki rai thodi alag hai. Unka kehna hai ki production targets ko market ki need ke hisaab se set karna chahiye. Woh suggest karte hain ki summer mein surplus stock rakhne se better hai quality par focus karein taaki brand leadership ban sake. Bhattacharya ne yeh bhi kaha ki hydrocarbon deficits ke karan coal ka market outlook, aur renewable energy ke saath, behtar hone ki ummeed hai.