The government plans to implement new technologies and build digital infrastructure to support current and future coal mines operations, a move that would reduce the country's dependency on imports.
"The objective is to implement new technologies and build digital infrastructure to support current and future ramp-up for the mines," according to the government's draft technology road map for the coal sector.
This involves a strong, multi-speed backbone information technology and infrastructure system that allows rapid deployment of new technologies. "Creation of such system would require access to new-age ecosystems ( such as start-ups, established vendors and research institutes). The technological transformation will also entail the creation of a new culture in the organisation," it said.
“To reduce the dependency on imports, it is critical for Coal India Ltd (CIL) to reach the one billion tonnes (BT) target, thereby embarking on a technological transformation journey,” it said.
New technologies can have a number of impacts on mining operations, including safety and productivity, environmental protection, and opportunities for women.
A robust tracking and change management mechanism will be deployed to ensure timely resolution and delivery.
India had a total coal reserve of 344.02 billion tonnes. Commercial primary energy consumption in India has seen a rise of 700 per cent in the past four decades. Major factors for the increase in demand for energy are expanding economy, rising population and the improvement of quality of life.
The limited potentiality of other energy sources will lead to the continuation of coal as the primary resource in India's energy scenario for the next few decades. However, due to the high demand and poor average quality, the country has to import coal of higher quality mainly to meet the requirements of its steel plants, cement plants and sponge iron plants, among others.