Coal India's Gevra block in Chhattisgarh to become the world's top mine by next year: Top official

Korba (Chhattisgarh), Feb 22 (PTI) Coal India's Gevra mine will become the world's top coal-producing mine next year by achieving the output of 63 million tonnes, surpassing the US mines, a top official said on Sunday.

Gevra mine, operated by South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL), a subsidiary of Coal India, is India's largest opencast coal mine.

Operational since 1981, the Gevra mine will produce 56 million tonnes this year. The mine has already received the environmental clearance to expand capacity to 70 million tonnes per annum.

In an interview with PTI here, SECL CMD Harish Duhan said, "By next year, only Gevra mine will be producing 63 MT and will become the number one mine in the world." Black Thunder Mine in Wyoming's Powder River Basin in the US is the world’s largest coal mine with an output of 61-62 million tonnes, followed by North Antelope Rochelle Mine.

SECL is fully prepared to achieve a production target of 56 million tonnes from Gevra – acknowledged as India's largest coal mine – this financial year, the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) said.

He outlined the four essential resources required for this ambitious goal -- land, machinery, manpower, and customer demand for coal dispatch -- and affirmed that "our team possesses all requisite resources, backed by meticulous advance planning".

He emphasised that adequate land is available at the site, all necessary equipment are in place, contracts have been duly awarded, and there is firm demand from customers to offtake the coal.

The CMD further highlighted that robust railway infrastructure supported by Indian Railways would help in seamless coal evacuation.

Arun Kumar Tyagi, Area General Manager of SECL, Gevra area, said, "In 2026-27, we aim to ramp up the production from Gevra mine to 63 million tonnes. This will surpass the Black Thunder mine in the US – the world's largest – which currently produces 62 million tonnes." On the company's diversification plans, the SECL CMD said, "We have identified a gasification project and we are in the process of acquiring it." The CMD said that the company also plans to set up 700 mw of solar projects in SECL itself. "For floating solar, we are willing to work with the state government of Chhattisgarh." The company, together with the state government, is also keen to identify some projects in critical minerals. "We want to make a JV with them (Chhattisgarh government)," he said.

SECL, he said, also plans to extract rare earth elements from the overburden and is in the process of identifying scientific agencies to support this.

Besides, SECL has set a target to complete the company's listing by March next year. The capital raised through the initial public offering would be utilised to expand SECL's projects and diversify, among other uses, the CMD said. PTI SID MR