India needs to import 83 mn tonne coal by 2011-12 .

To meet the rising demand of coal, India will need to import at least 83 million tonnes by 2011-12, Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal said here Friday.

‘The demand projected in the mid-term appraisal of 11th Plan for 2011-12 is 713 million tonnes against which the projected production is only 629.91 million tonnes. The balance of 83 million tonnes will have to be met by imports,’ he told a seminar by Coal Consumers’ Association of India.

He said the coal production from captive blocks could contribute to about 42 million tonnes against an envisaged target of 81 million tonnes, which would further augment the need to import more coal during 2011-12.

The total coal production was anticipated to be around 570 million tonnes in 2010-11.

‘Total coal trade in the international market is about 800-900 million tonnes. If India has to import more than 100 million tonnes extending to about 250 million tonnes by the end of the 12th Plan, this will seriously affect international trade,’ he said.

Source : calcuttatube.com