India Nearly Doubles Planned Coal Mining Capacity

The Ministry of Coal of India nearly doubled its planned coal mining capacity in 2025, increasing proposed output from 329 million metric tons per annum to 638 million metric tons per annum. This expansion, concentrated in the states of Jharkhand and Odisha, contributed to an 11% rise in the global pipeline of proposed coal projects, which now totals 2.5 billion tonnes per year.

India aims to increase production to 1.15 billion tonnes in the 2025-26 fiscal year and 1.5 billion tonnes by 2030 to support economic growth and manage severe heatwaves. This push occurs despite a 40% global decline in actual new mine openings and a shift toward renewables. Data from the energy thinktank Sholay indicates that wind and solar power surpassed coal generation in the global electricity mix for the first time last year.

Global Energy Monitor warned that India's plans conflict with International Energy Agency forecasts, which predict global coal demand will plateau by 2030. Tiffany Means, a senior researcher at Global Energy Monitor, stated that the economic rationale for expanding coal mining is weakening as clean energy displaces coal, urging governments to cancel projects in the development pipeline before construction begins.