Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL) has sharply increased coal production and dispatches after monsoon conditions improved across its mining areas. On September 8, the company’s coal production was 67% higher, while coal supplies increased 75% compared with the average levels recorded between September 1 and 3. The improvement has helped ease recent disruptions in coal supplies to power plants in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
NCL had produced 51.43 million tonnes (MT) of coal in FY2026-27 as of September 8, while its cumulative coal supplies stood at 55 MT. Around 87% of NCL’s supplies go to the power sector, making the company an important source of coal for power generation in northern and central India. The latest improvement in production and dispatch comes after heavy rains had affected mining operations and coal movement earlier in September.
The improvement was also visible in railway evacuation. NCL loaded 41 railway rakes on September 8, compared with an average of 19 rakes per day during September 1–3. Better mine conditions allowed the company to increase coal movement towards railway sidings, while internal road access was also restored in areas that had been affected by water accumulation.
The monsoon had affected both mining and transportation operations at NCL. Heavy rainfall made some mining areas difficult to access and also disrupted movement of coal towards coal handling plants and railway sidings. The company has since increased dewatering activity and restored internal roads, allowing coal evacuation to improve as weather conditions became more favourable.
The recovery at NCL is part of a broader improvement in Coal India’s production and dispatch operations. Coal India’s daily production reached around 1.91 MT on September 8, up 40% from the average of 1.36 MT during September 1–3. Daily supplies to the power sector also increased 27% to around 1.74 MT from 1.37 MT during the same comparison period.
For NCL, the increase in dispatches is particularly important because the company supplies coal to power stations across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. With 87% of its total supplies going to the power sector, changes in its production and evacuation directly affect the availability of fuel for these generating stations. The latest increase in supplies has therefore helped reduce some of the pressure created by the earlier monsoon-related disruptions.
The company is also increasing coordination with railway officials and coal consumers to keep evacuation moving at higher levels. Road-based consumers are being engaged to increase the deployment of tippers, while railway loading has been stepped up as mine conditions improve. This combination of road and rail movement is being used to convert the improvement in mining conditions into higher actual deliveries.
The latest numbers show how strongly weather conditions can affect India's coal supply chain during the monsoon. Even when coal is available at the mine, heavy rain can restrict mine access, road movement, rail loading and evacuation. NCL's September recovery shows that the improvement in weather is now allowing production and logistics operations to move closer to normal levels.
For the coal and metals industry, the development is relevant beyond the power sector. Better domestic coal availability can also ease pressure on industrial fuel supplies, although NCL's reported supplies are predominantly directed towards power generation. The focus in the coming weeks will be on whether the improvement in weather can be sustained and whether higher production can translate into consistent coal movement across the wider supply chain.