New Delhi, Oct 1 : Cumulative coal production reached 453.01 million tonnes (MT) in the first six months of FY25 as compared to 427.97 MT during the same period last fiscal, registering a growth of 5.85 per cent, the government said on Tuesday.

Coal production in the month of September reached 68.94 million tonnes, exceeding last year's production of 67.26 MT for the same month, reflecting a growth of 2.49 per cent, according to the Ministry of Coal.

Coal dispatch also saw notable growth in September, reaching 73.37 MT, compared to 70.31 MT during the same period in FY24, with a growth of 4.35 per cent.

According to the ministry, the cumulative coal dispatch (up to September) stood at 487.87 MT in FY25, compared to 462.27 MT during the same period in FY24, a growth of 5.54 per cent.

"The upturn in offtake has resulted in a comfortable coal stock position. The total coal stock at DCB, as on September 29, has recorded remarkable growth reaching 33.46 MT (provisional) as compared to 22.15 MT, as on September 29, 2023, reflecting a growth of 51.07 per cent," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, coal imports saw a marginal increase of 0.9 per cent, reaching 90.51 million tonnes (MT) in the April-July period of FY25, compared to 89.68 MT in the previous year to meet the current consumption landscape. Despite a growth of 10.18 per cent in coal-based power generation from April to July 2024 compared to the same period last year, imports for blending purposes decreased by 8.2 per cent during the same period.

As the fifth-largest coal reserves in the world, the country stands as the second-largest consumer of coal, driven by a rapidly growing economy. The ministry said that the current consumption landscape reveals a critical need for imports, particularly for coking coal and high-grade thermal coal, which are not sufficiently available within domestic reserves.

/IANS