NEW DELHI — State-run Coal India Limited (CIL) is undergoing a major technological transformation, pivoting from traditional extraction methods toward a digital, automated, and sustainable “Smart Mining” ecosystem across its open-cast (OC) and underground (UG) operations.
According to a comprehensive update released by the Ministry of Coal, CIL’s strategic overhaul integrates artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous machinery, and advanced coal evacuation logistics to enhance operational safety, boost recovery efficiency, and strengthen India’s long-term energy security.
Key Operational & Technological Interventions
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Advanced Exploration Protocols: CIL has deployed machine-learning models (SVM, XGBoost, Random Forest) to analyze borehole logging data. Non-invasive 2D/3D seismic surveys with Spectral Enhancement (SPE) assaying have reduced required drilling boreholes by up to 50%.
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Open-Cast Mine Automation: Standardized since 2021, high-capacity High Earth Moving Machinery (HEMM)—including 42 CuM shovels and 240-tonne dumpers—is being paired with blast-free surface miners. Electronic detonators fully replaced electric detonators in FY 2024–25 to enhance site safety.
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Underground Production Scaling: CIL aims to scale UG coal output to 100 Million Tonnes (MT) through the wide-scale adoption of Continuous Miners, Longwall, and Highwall technologies, supported by Paste Fill operations to extract high-grade coal locked in pillars.
Logistics, Infrastructure & Environmental Stewardship
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First Mile Connectivity (FMC): CIL is executing a ₹27,800 crore FMC program covering 92 projects to integrate Coal Handling Plants (CHPs), silos, and rapid loading systems. With 46 projects commissioned (432 MTPA capacity), the targeted mechanical loading capacity stands at 994 MTY by FY 2029–30.
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Railway Infrastructure Outlay: Four out of seven critical rail corridor projects (~₹23,465 crore) have been commissioned, with the remainder slated for completion by FY 2027–28.
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Enterprise Digital Integration: Operational systems are managed via Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs) and the DigiCoal pilot framework, while enterprise operations run on SAP S/4HANA for streamlined, paperless governance.
R&D Roadmap & Intelligent Mining to FY 2030
To accelerate indigenous innovation, CIL has committed an R&D investment of ₹1,900 crore through FY 2029–30, centered around its hub-and-spoke National Centre for Coal and Energy Research (NaCCER) and key institutional partnerships:
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Next-Gen Equipment & Pilots: CIL is piloting remote-operated Line-of-Sight dozers in SECL and NCL (~₹2.0 crore per unit) and partnering with IIT Madras on electric mobility and Trolley Assist systems for 190T+ dumpers.
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Specialized R&D Projects: Key initiatives include Underground Coal Gasification at Kasta (ECL), 5G networks and digital twins for UG mines, indigenous Perovskite Solar Cells with IIT Bombay, and 500-tonne Self-Advancing Goaf Edge Supports (SAGES) at the Churcha UG Mine (SECL).
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Future Infrastructure: Plans include establishing a Pilot Integrated Coal Refinery Complex, dry beneficiation trials (XRT sorting and Air Tables), and new Centres of Excellence at IIT Bombay, Roorkee, Kharagpur, Delhi, and North-East India.
