Coal Ministry Initiates Commercial Coal Mining Auction with Strong Industry Response
New Delhi, June 28, 2023 – The Ministry of Coal has taken a significant step towards commercial coal mining by inviting bids for the auction of 103 coal and lignite mines. The auction process, which commenced on March 29, 2023, reached a crucial milestone today with the opening of technical bids from interested companies. A total of 22 prominent companies eagerly submitted their bids, showcasing the industry’s enthusiasm for this opportunity.
The meticulous auction process involved the examination of both online and offline bid documents. In a transparent manner, the technical bids were decrypted and opened electronically, followed by the unveiling of sealed envelopes containing offline bid documents. Every step of the process was displayed on screen, ensuring fairness and openness for all participating bidders.
The auction witnessed substantial participation in two tranches, namely the seventh tranche and the second attempt of the sixth tranche. Under the seventh tranche, a remarkable 34 bids, including both online and offline submissions, were received for 17 coal mines. Furthermore, seven coal mines received multiple bids, with a total of 24 bids received against them. On the other hand, ten coal mines garnered single bids. Out of the 17 coal mines, nine are partially explored, while the remaining mines have been fully explored. The cumulative peak rated capacity (PRC) of the fully explored mines stands at an impressive 47.80 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). Among these mines, 16 are dedicated to non-coking coal, while one mine is designated for coking coal.
In the second attempt of the sixth tranche, a single bid was received for one fully explored non-coking coal mine out of the five mines up for auction. This particular mine possesses a peak rated capacity of 4 MTPA.
Apart from private entities, five public sector companies also showcased their interest and submitted bids for the ongoing round of commercial coal mines’ auction. The comprehensive list of bids received, categorized by mine, is as follows:
| Sr No | Name of Coal Mine | Tranche | No of Bids (Both Online and Offline) |
| 1 | Badibahal | 17th Tranche | 1 |
| 2 | Kudanali Lubri | 17th Tranche | 1 |
| 3 | Machhakata (Revised) | 17th Tranche | 1 |
| 4 | Mahan | 17th Tranche | 1 |
| 5 | Mara II Mahan | 17th Tranche | 1 |
| 6 | Meenakshi West | 17th Tranche | 3 |
| 7 | North Dhadu (Eastern Part) | 17th Tranche | 2 |
| 8 | North Dhadu (Western Part) | 17th Tranche | 2 |
| 9 | Pathora East | 17th Tranche | 5 |
| 10 | Pathora West | 17th Tranche | 2 |
| 11 | Phatehpur South | 17th Tranche | 1 |
| 12 | Sakhigopal B Kakurhi | 17th Tranche | 1 |
| 13 | Sherband | 17th Tranche | 7 |
| 14 | Tandsi III and Tandsi III Extn. | 17th Tranche | 1 |
| 15 | Tara | 17th Tranche | 3 |
| 16 | Thesgora-B/ Rudrapuri | 17th Tranche | 1 |
| 17 | West of Baisi (Revised) | 17th Tranche | 1 |
| 18 | Sattupalli Block III | 2nd Attempt – 16th Tranche | 1 |
| TOTAL | 35 | ||
A total of 22 companies have submitted their bids (both online and offline) in the auction process as per the following list:
| Sr. No | Name of the Bidder | No of Bids Submitted |
| 1 | Agrasen Sponge Pvt Limited | 1 |
| 2 | Bull Mining Pvt Ltd | 3 |
| 3 | Gangaramchak Mining Private Limited | 1 |
| 4 | Gujarat Mineral and Development Corporation | 3 |
| 5 | Hindalco Industries Limited | 2 |
| 6 | Jindal Steel and Power Limited | 3 |
| 7 | Mahan Energen Limited | 1 |
| 8 | Nalwa Steel and Power Limited | 1 |
| 9 | Nilkanth Coal Mining Pvt Ltd | 1 |
| 10 | NLC India Limited | 3 |
| 11 | NTPC Mining Ltd | 2 |
| 12 | Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd. | 1 |
| 13 | Odisha Coal and Power Limited | 1 |
| 14 | Paras Power and Coal Benefication Limited | 1 |
| 15 | Raigarh Natural Resources Pvt Ltd | 1 |
| 16 | Shanti GD Ispat and Power Pvt Ltd | 1 |
| 17 | Shri Bajrang Power and Ispat Limited | 3 |
| 18 | Special Blasts Limited | 1 |
| 19 | Srivan Khanij Private Limited | 1 |
| 20 | Sunflag Iron and Steel Ltd | 2 |
| 21 | TANGEDCO | 1 |
| 22 | Sri Avantika Contractors I Pvt Ltd | 1 |
| TOTAL | 35 |
