Team News Riveting
Raipur, September 12
Chairman of Coal India Limited (CIL) Pramod Agrawal said it was difficult to predict the demand of coal in future but the percentage in total energy basket might reduce.
Responding to whether the coal will lose its line in 10 years, Agrawal said at the Q1 FY-23 post results conference call that it would be difficult for anybody to predict. “Two years back there was a thinking that perhaps the coal demand will never come back, but it has bounced back this year. My understanding is that and it has always been, that for the next 15 to 20 years coal requirements will definitely will be there,” he said.
The CIL Chairman observed that the percentage in the total energy basket may reduce, but coal demand in tonnage terms will keep on increasing. “And for that, we have to be prepared. So, saying that
the demand of the coal will not be there, I don’t think that is the right thing. But at the same time, Coal India has to develop another green energy thing as I had replied to one more question because of two reasons, one to neutralize whatever energy we are consuming so that we can become a zero energy consumption company; and secondly, to invest in the areas which are more futuristic,” Agrawal said.
So, because of that, they are investing in the sector. And Coal India has been trying in the last one year to get more to win the tenders, et cetera but somehow they have not been successful. “But we are quite hopeful that we are talking to the different state governments so that we can establish solar power plants for their consumption of the discom. So, we are working on that, we’ll be successful soon,” Agrawal said.
