Coal India Limited (CIL) announced that its environment-friendly coal transportation through First Mile Connectivity (FMC) projects surged 34% year-on-year to 102.5 million tonnes (MTs) in FY25, compared to 76.5 MTs in FY24. This growth was achieved via 20 FMC projects integrated with the Indian Railway network, up from 17 projects in the previous fiscal.
In the current financial year through May, CIL recorded a 36.7% increase in coal movement through FMC, transporting 20.5 MTs versus 15 MTs in the same period last year. The company plans to commission 19 more FMC projects with a combined capacity of 150 MT/year in FY26.
The ramp-up in FMC usage led to a 5% drop in underloading charges in FY25 and improved grade conformity, thanks to better-quality coal being loaded through mechanized systems. CIL aims to commission 92 FMC projects with a combined capacity of 994 MT/year by FY29, aligning with its target of 1 billion tonnes in coal production.
FMC enables pithead-to-railway station coal transport via conveyor belts, eliminating truck usage and manual loading. According to pilot studies, the initiative has significantly reduced particulate emissions, ambient noise, and diesel usage.
