Coal India (CIL) allays domestic coal deficiency situation even as the power demand began picking up since January, signalling that coal demand could go up in the ensuing months.
The three layer buffer across the supply chain – coal inventory at CIL's pitheads, coal stocks at thermal power plants, and ready to extract in-situ coal exposure in CIL's mines- assures comfortable coal availability as the summer is beginning.
Coal India's producing subsidiaries are holding sizeable pithead coal stock to the tune of 115 Million Tonnes (MTs) as of 26 February 2026, which will further go up by the fiscal's closure.
Coal stocks at domestic coal based power plants stand at nearly 55 MTs (as of 25 February), the highest ever for the referred period. Further, there is a transit stock of 5.5 MTs of coal at goods sheds, washeries and ports put together.
The on tap coal accessibility of coal is approximately 175.5 MTs through these sources. This level of domestic coal sufficiency in the system can meet any spurt in power demand and from other sectors as well and dispels coal scarcity concerns.
The in-situ coal exposure, at mines that contribute to 90% of CIL's total annual output, was 60.2 MTs at the end of the first fortnight of February 2026. It means, large quantities of coal is already uncovered through over burden removal and is ready for extraction and supply at short notice.
“The cumulative quantity of CIL's pithead stock, plant stock at domestic coal based thermal power stations and exposed coal in-situ provides strong operational assurance”, said a senior official of CIL.
Higher quantities of domestic coal availability could catalyse coal import reduction as well. Also international coal prices have shown an upward trend as of February 2026.