Coal India’s Eco-Friendly Coal Transport Up 34% in FY25

State-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) reported that eco-friendly coal transportation via first mile connectivity (FMC) projects rose by 34% year-on-year to 102.5 million tonnes in FY25, up from 76.5 million tonnes through 17 projects in FY24. FMC projects, which use automated piped conveyor belts to move coal from pitheads to loading points, reduce dust, noise, vehicular emissions, and road congestion compared to traditional truck-based transport.

CIL plans to commission 19 new FMC projects with a combined capacity of nearly 150 million tonnes per year in FY26, and aims to implement 92 FMC projects totaling 994 million tonnes per year by FY29 to support its target of producing 1 billion tonnes of coal. This shift towards mechanized handling is expected to lower wagon turnaround times and improve safety, while ensuring that over 80% of domestic coal output by CIL is transported in an environment-friendly manner.