Coal India Limited (CIL) is stepping up efforts to ensure uniform and transparent coal quality by sharply increasing the adoption of mechanised loading systems combined with automated coal sampling. The move is aimed at strengthening the reliability of domestic coal supplies and addressing long-standing quality concerns raised by consumers.

The company is gradually shifting more coal dispatches to silo-based mechanised loading facilities fitted with automatic mechanical samplers. By removing manual intervention during the loading process, these systems enable uniform sampling and reduce human discretion, resulting in more consistent, reliable, and credible coal quality assessment across dispatch locations.

As per the Fuel Supply Agreement, coal quality evaluation is carried out by independent Third Party Sampling Agencies (TPSAs). At present, 11 agencies empanelled by Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFCL) are deployed at CIL subsidiary loading points. Consumers are free to select any PFCL-approved agency, reinforcing neutrality and transparency in grade determination.

By December of FY 2026, CIL had transported around 375 million tonnes of coal by rail, with the entire volume undergoing TPSA-based sampling. Nearly 50% of this coal was dispatched through silos equipped with automated samplers. Encouraged by improved quality outcomes, CIL now plans to increase silo-based dispatches to about 80% in the current financial year. This expansion is being driven by faster rollout of first-mile connectivity projects and wider deployment of silo infrastructure at mines.

Data from TPSAs and referee laboratories indicate a steady improvement in coal grade conformity. Overall conformity reached 85% as of December this fiscal year, up from 82% during the same period last year. CIL expects these figures to improve further as mechanised systems are introduced at more loading points.

To enhance transparency further, the company has also launched online coal quality analysis at two subsidiaries, allowing near real-time monitoring of quality parameters. While Indian coal is naturally heterogeneous and prone to grade variation even within the same seam, CIL continues to rely on technology to improve accuracy, accountability, and consumer confidence in quality assessment.

Headquartered in Kolkata, Coal India Limited is the world’s largest coal producer and a Maharatna public sector enterprise under the Government of India. Founded in 1975, the company operates through eight subsidiaries across India’s key coal-bearing regions.