Key Details
The Ministry of Coal’s 5 October operational update compares Coal India Limited’s (CIL) coal dispatches with the same periods in FY2025–26. Offtake measures coal supplied from the company, not coal newly produced.
Supply measure | FY2026–27 | Change from a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
Total offtake, April–September | 384.2 million tonnes | +7.6% |
Dispatches to power plants, April–September | 302.8 million tonnes | +6.1% |
Dispatches to power plants, July–September | 148.2 million tonnes | +11.0% |
Dispatches to power plants, September | 48.9 million tonnes | +10.6% |
Power plants received about 79% of CIL’s total first-half offtake. The Ministry also says CIL drew down 63 million tonnes of coal stocks held at its mines during the period.
Power-Plant Dispatches Accelerated in the Second Quarter
CIL supplied 17.4 million tonnes more coal to power plants in April–September 2026 than in the corresponding period a year earlier. Growth was faster in July–September, when power-sector dispatches rose 11%, and strengthened again in September.
This is an improvement in coal reaching power plants, not simply in coal available at mines. It matters because mining, loading and transport all affect whether fuel can be used for generation.
Mine Stocks Helped Sustain Supplies
The Ministry attributes part of the increase to the use of accumulated pithead stocks—coal already held at or near mines. Drawing on those stocks allowed dispatches to continue while production was being ramped up following the monsoon period. The distinction is important: higher offtake in this half-year does not mean newly mined output rose by the same amount.
Domestic coal-based electricity generation also rose 9.9% year-on-year in the first half, according to the release. That provides context for power-sector coal demand, but the figures alone do not show how much of the generation increase resulted from CIL’s additional supplies.
Policy Relevance
CIL’s higher dispatches show the value of mine stocks as a supply buffer while production ramps up. Sustaining that improvement will depend on replenishing stocks and moving coal reliably from mines to power plants. CIL’s investments in First Mile Connectivity and mechanised loading address that movement, although this release does not measure their contribution to the increase.
For power-sector planning, the test is not just how many tonnes CIL dispatches. It is whether plants receive coal predictably, at the required quality, and maintain adequate stocks through the post-monsoon production cycle.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: Can CIL sustain the faster rate of power-plant deliveries as mine stocks are drawn down, and how will that show up in coal stocks at power plants?
Follow the Full Press Release Here: From Coal Availability to Energy Security: CIL Strengthens Coal Supply and Distribution to Power Sector