New Delhi: The Centre expects additional 60 rakes per day to be available for coal loading in this financial year, leading to an increase in the fuel transportation capacity by 85 million tonnes.An increase of 70 million tonnes of annual coal transport was recorded in 2023-24 on account of additional rake availability, the power ministry said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. In 2024-25, it said, 250 rakes for coal carrying rolling stock are likely to be further inducted, compared with 200 last year. Till July 18 in this fiscal, the number of railway rakes averaged 472.7 per day compared with 422.7 a year ago, a government official said.

Overall coal despatch in 2023-24 was about 973 million tonnes, as per government data. The railways has identified 40 projects for augmentation of coal evacuation, of which 17 have been completed and 23 projects are in progress, the power ministry said. Of the 23 projects, 18 are expected to be completed by 2026-27.

In a separate reply, the coal ministry reiterated that the domestic production is expected to increase 6-7% annually in the next few years to reach about 1.5 billion tonnes by 2029-30. The power ministry also reiterated that it proposed to set up an additional minimum 80 GW coal-based capacity by 2031-32.

The estimated capital cost for setting up new coal-based thermal capacity as considered in the National Electricity Plan is ₹8.34 crore per MW at 2021-22 price level. Based on the estimate, the planned thermal capacity addition is expected to cost at least ₹6,67,200 crore by 2031-32.