Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Saturday that despite the country’s energy demand likely to double by 2040, the thermal coal requirement will reach around 1,500 million tonnes in the next 18 years.
The Minister said that there is a need to be aware of the environment and keep in mind the sustainable mining goals.
The minister said, “Power generation will be around 3,000 billion units by 2040; energy demand will double by 2040. To meet this demand, the demand for thermal coal will increase to about 1500 million tonnes by 2040.”
While ‘best efforts’ were being made to balance the reliance on coal and lignite with the development of renewable energy, the transition to green energy would be mostly gradual, said Mr Joshi during his first visit to NLC India Limited in Neyli Told.
NLC India said in a statement that Shri Joshi today emphasized the importance of coal in the energy security of the country.
India has a balanced energy mix and this is helping the country move faster towards its energy-environmental goals, the minister said.
He also lauded the ‘crucial’ role played by the company in fighting COVID-19.