Gevra Coal Mine and Kusmunda Coal Mine, blocks of Chhattisgarh-based South Eastern Coalfields Limited’s (SECL) have secured the 2nd and 4th rank in terms of production volume in the list of the world’s top 10 largest coal mines released by WorldAtlas.com.
- Gevra and Kusmunda produced more than 100 Million Tonnes (MT) of coal annually accounting for about 10% total coal production of India.
- Black Thunder Mine in the United States of America(USA) has been ranked the world’s largest coal mine. With 4 mines, Indonesia dominates the top ten coal mines list.
Gevra Coal Mine:
i.The Gevra is an OpenCast (OC) Coal mine, located in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh, owned by the SECL and is a subsidiary of the Coal India Limited (CIL). It mines mainly Bituminous-grade coal.
ii.It produced 59 million tons of coal in FY 23-24. It became the largest coal mine in India in 2023 with annual production for FY 22-23 reaching 52.5 million tons.
iii.It began its operations in 1981 and has adequate coal reserves to meet India’s energy needs for the next ten years.
iv.It has an annual production capacity of 70 million tons and is expected to operate until 2036.
Kusmunda Coal Mine:
i.Kusmunda, an OC Coal Mine is located in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh, owned by the SECL and is a subsidiary of the CIL.It began its operations in 1979.
ii.It mines Bituminous-grade coal, a medium-grade type and the world’s most abundant form of coal.
iii.It becomes the second mine in India after Gevra to produce more than 50 million tons of coal in FY 23-24.
iv.It produced 50 million tonnes of coal in 2023-24 and is expected to remain operational until 2036.
Points to note:
These mines use advanced mining machines such as the ‘Surface Miner‘ to extract coal in an eco-friendly manner without blasting.
- They employ the world’s largest HEMMs (Heavy Earth Moving Machineries), including 240-ton dumpers and 42 cubic metre shovels, as well as vertical rippers, for environmentally friendly and blast-free OB removal.
List of Top 10 Largest Coal Mines in the World:
The below table lists the top 10 coal-producing mines in the world.
| Rank | Coal Mines | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Thunder Mine | United States of America (USA) |
| 2 | Gevra Mine | Chhattisgarh, India |
| 3 | North Antelope Rochelle Mine (NARM) | USA |
| 4 | Kusmunda Mine | Chhattisgarh, India |
| 5 | Northern Shaanxi Mine | China |
| 6 | Sangatta Mine | Indonesia |
| 7 | Belchatow Mine | Poland |
| 8 | Fajar Tabang Brian (FTB) Project | Indonesia |
| 9 | Tutupan Mine | Indonesia |
| 10 | Borneo Indobara (BIB) Mine | Indonesia |
Key Points:
i.As per the list, Black Thunder Mine and North Antelope Rochelle Mine in the USA secured the first and third spots with estimated productions of 62.68 MT and 56.25 MT of coal in 2023, respectively.
ii.Northern Shaanxi Mine in China secured the fifth rank in the list with 41.34 MT of coal in 2023.
iii.The Sangatta Mine in Indonesia secured sixth rank with 40.9 MT of coal in 2023.
iv.The Belchatow Mine in Poland and the FTB Project (surface mine) in Indonesia secured seventh and eighth rank respectively with 40.43 MT and 37.4 MT of coal in 2023.
v.Tutupan Mine and Borneo Indobara Mine in Indonesia secured ninth and tenth rank respectively with 36.39 MT and 35.03 MT of coal production in 2023.
Note: Globally, China is the largest producer of coal. In 2022, China accounted for almost 52% of the coal production worldwide. India, the second-largest coal producer, had a global share of over 9%.
About SECL:
i.SECL is one of the top three coal-producing subsidiaries of CIL, operating under the Ministry of Coal(MoC). SECL is a ‘Miniratna’ Company, which operates 59 blocks, contributing significantly to CIL’s total output.
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) – Prem Sagar Mishra
Headquarters – Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
Formed – 1985
About Chhattisgarh:
Chief Minister (CM) – Vishnu Deo Sai
Governor – Biswabhusan Harichandan
Capital – Raipur
Wildlife Sanctuaries – Semarsot Wildlife Sanctuary, Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary
