Coal India (CIL), in a move aimed at improving the quality of its coking coal, is planning to set up eight new coking coal washeries at an estimated capital outlay of Rs 3,300 crore. Expected to be operational by FY 2030 these would have a combined washing capacity of 21.5 million tonnes per year (MT/Y).

The upcoming coking coal washeries are in addition to the ten that CIL already operates having 18.35 MT/Y cumulative capacity. The Mahartana coal miner would also be investing Rs 300 crore in renovation and modernization of the existing coking coal washeries to ensure their optimal and gainful utilization.

Of the eight new washeries five will be set up in Central Coalfields (14.5 MT/Y) and three in Bharat Coking Coal (7 MT/Y). This calibrated expansion of washing capacity and modernization is to improve domestic coking coal quality and also is an effort to moderate import dependence in the coming years.

Coal India is the world’s largest coal mining company. It also produces non-coking coal and coking coal of various grades for diverse applications.