Quick Notes
Source: Central Electricity Authority
According to research by Ember, India’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions grew by 0.5 percent in the second half of 2025 and by just 0.7 percent in the year as a whole, the slowest rate in more than two decades. While most of the decrease in emissions is attributed to the increase in power generation from renewables and a decrease in power generation from fossil fuels, data show that changes in the external environment, such as weather, made a larger contribution to reducing electricity consumption, which inevitably reduced CO2 emissions.
The increase in electricity demand in India in the first half of 2025 was the lowest absolute growth since the COVID-19 pandemic. This slowdown reflected more measured industrial growth, as well as milder weather that reduced cooling demand. According to government data quoted in the report, electricity demand increased by just 12 TWh (terawatt hour) in the first half of 2025 (calendar year), compared with a rise of 75 TWh in the same period last year. Slower growth in electricity usage was largely due to relatively mild temperatures and high rainfall, in contrast to the heatwaves of 2024. A slowdown in industrial sectors in the second quarter of the year also contributed.
65 percent of the fall in fossil-fuel generation in the first half of 2025 was attributed to lower electricity demand growth, 20 percent to faster growth in non-hydro “must-run” clean power and the remaining 15 percent to higher output at existing hydropower plants. Increased rainfall drove the jump in hydropower generation. India received 42 percent above-normal rainfall from March to May 2025. In early 2024, India’s hydro output fell steeply as a result of erratic rainfall.
Lower temperatures and abundant rainfall reduced the need for air conditioning in the first half of 2025. In the same period in 2024, demand surged due to record heatwaves and higher temperatures across the country. Cooling degree days, a measure of how much and for how long outdoor air temperature rises above a base temperature of 22°C (for India, 18°C is used in North America and Western Europe) in April-May 2025 was around 250 compared to over 310 in April-May 2024. Air conditioning, estimated to account for about 50 GW (gigawatt), or 20 percent of India’s peak power load, has a significant impact on electricity demand.
India has pushed back by a year its plan for coal-fired power plants to lower output when solar generation is high, as regulators are yet to work out how to compensate coal power generators for their role as back-up or swing producers. The delay of a year on framing rules to compensate coal plants for higher costs of maintenance and retrofitting needed to cut the minimum use rate of coal plants to 40 percent from 55 percent remains a challenge. According to thermal power generators, operating at minimum loads of 40 percent accelerated wear and tear of critical equipment. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has observed that retrofitting coal plants for flexible operations would increase tariffs by only INR0.28-0.60/kWh (kilowatt hour) versus INR5.76-6.04/kWh for battery storage, making flexible coal at least 10 times cheaper.
In 2024, coal was the largest source of primary energy for generation, accounting for over 33 percent of power generation globally. Overall, fossil fuels accounted for about 60 percent of global power generation. Worldwide, 9.2 billion tonnes (BT) of coal were produced in 2024, of which China alone accounted for 4.7 BT. India produced over 1 BT. Over 80 percent of coal production originated in the Asia Pacific. China, India, the EU and the US accounted for 63 percent of global electricity demand and 64 percent of CO2 emissions in the first half of 2025. India accounted for 6.2 percent of global electricity demand and 9.1 percent of global CO2 emissions in the same period. Despite aggressive capacity additions in solar and wind, the variability of the monsoon and peak cooling demands reinforced coal’s role, which still accounts for approximately 75 percent of India’s power generation. 44 GW of coal-based power generation capacity is under construction as of March 2026, according to CEA data.
Although coal-fired power generation registered a 3 percent contraction in 2025 in India, overall consumption is expected to continue its upward trajectory, with long-term projections anticipating a further increase of up to 200 million tonnes (MT) by 2030 to meet baseload requirements and demand from heavy industries. India achieved record coal production of 997.83 MT in 2023-24, up 11.71 percent from 893.19 MT the prior year. This momentum continued into 2024-25, with production hitting 1,047.52 MT (4.98 percent increase), crossing the 1 BT milestone. Coal India contributed 781.06 MT, an increase of about 0.94 percent over the last financial year. Coal imports fell by 7.9 percent to 243.62 MT in 2024-25 amid rising domestic output, supporting 72 percent of power generation. Coal production in 2025-26 is projected to reach 1.15 BT, which would mean 83 percent self-sufficiency in coal consumption.
In China, despite renewables surpassing fossil fuels in installed capacity for the first time (52 percent of total as of February 2026), coal expansion continues unabated. China commissioned 78 GW of new coal power capacity in 2025, the highest annual total in a decade, and as of January 2026 operated 1,243 GW of coal capacity, accounting for 71 percent of global coal power capacity. Since 2021, China has approved 289 GW of new coal capacity, double the amount approved in the previous five-year plan period.
Despite sustained investments in renewables, coal remains indispensable for baseload power in India and China due to its relative affordability, established infrastructure, and domestic availability. This trend highlights a widening gap between decarbonisation ambitions and energy security imperatives, suggesting that coal phase-down trajectories will be more protracted and regionally differentiated than previously anticipated. The sustained emphasis on coal-fired infrastructure in India and other coal-dominant countries affirms coal’s strategic function as a swing fuel - balancing intermittent renewables, meeting summer peak demand and compensating for high-priced or unavailable natural gas during geopolitical turmoil.
Demand
India’s coal consumption could more than double by mid-century before plunging sharply as the country shifts toward cleaner energy, according to long-term projections published by government think-tank NITI Aayog. Under the current policy scenario - which assumes no major new decarbonisation measures - coal demand is expected to peak at 2.62 billion metric tonnes (BT) in 2050, more than double the current 1.26 BT. Even by 2070, industrial demand is expected to keep coal consumption at a relatively high 1.80 BT, the report shows. India is aiming for net-zero emissions by 2070, and under this scenario, coal consumption is expected to peak at 1.83 BT in 2050 before collapsing to just 161 MT by 2070. Virtually all remaining coal use in 2070 would be limited to hard-to-abate sectors such as steel and cement and would require carbon capture, utilisation and storage to meet emissions goals, the report said.
Coal will continue to play a central role in India’s energy mix as the country works towards tripling its per capita energy consumption over the next 20 years. According to the Economic Survey 2025–26, coal plays an important role in India’s energy landscape, contributing 55 percent to the national energy mix and fuelling over 74 percent of total power generation. India’s total installed power generation capacity currently stands at nearly 514 gigawatt (GW), comprising about 247 GW of thermal capacity. Annual per capita energy consumption currently stands at 1,460 kWh and is expected to increase to 2,000 kWh by 2030 and over 4,000 kWh by 2047. As per Coal India Ltd (CIL), coal will act as a bridge and enabler in India’s transition.
Union Minister Satish Chandra Dubey inaugurated the resumption of coal mining operations at Rajhara Colliery of Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) in Jharkhand’s Palamu district. Coal mining operations had been closed at the site since 2010. This would also help curb migration from the region. There has been a long-standing demand to restart the Rajhara coal mine, and the government has accorded it high priority.
Coal Block Auctions
According to the government 136 coal blocks have been successfully auctioned since 2020 following the Niti Aayog’s recommendations, and future allocations will also be done through a participative bidding process. The government is ready to examine the Telangana state government’s proposal to allot the Tadicherla coal block on an administrative basis to state-owned Singareni Collieries.
Iron ore producer NMDC, as part of its diversification plans, has commenced mining operations at the Tokisud North Coal Mine in Barkagaon Block, Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand. The annual production capacity of the mine is 2.30 million tonnes (MT) of thermal coal. The date of commencement of commercial production will be intimated in due course. NMDC has identified 10 minerals as part of diversification strategies. Tokisud North Coal Mine has a project area of 585 hectare and is one of the two coals assets - coking coal block Rohne in the same State is the other -- allotted to the company by the Union Ministry of Coal. The Ministry had declared NMDC as the successful allottee of the Tokisud North coal mine on 16 December 2019 with the allotment agreement and Allotment Order signed subsequently. As per the company the Tokisud North coal block has extractable reserves of about 52 MT of thermal coal and planned production capacity of 2.32 MT per annum. The Rohne block has extractable reserves of 191 MT and planned production capacity of 8 MT per annum. Both the blocks are located at an aerial distance of about 10-15 km, in the same district of the State.
The coal ministry has executed Coal Mine Development and Production Agreements (CMDPAs) with Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for three commercial coal blocks—Dhulia North, Mandakini B and Pirpainti Barahat. As per the ministry, these blocks were successfully auctioned under the 13th round of commercial coal mining auctions, and the agreements represent a significant milestone in India’s journey towards self-reliance in the coal sector. The blocks are fully explored and together account for a peak rated capacity of 49 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), underscoring their strategic importance in meeting the country’s growing energy requirements. The three projects are expected to create around 66,248 direct and indirect employment opportunities, fostering livelihood generation and regional development in the coal-bearing areas.
Imports
Finding bullish exporters of thermal coal has been tricky of late given soft prices, lower demand from heavyweight buyers China and India, and for Indonesian miners an additional headache of uncertainty over government policy. But there is one group of coal exporters that seem quite ebullient. South Africa's miners are looking forward to increased demand from their top buyer India as well as improving rail infrastructure that will allow for higher volumes. India’s cement producers rely on imported coal, and they also expect to increase output from 453 MT in the 2024-25 fiscal year to around 480 MT in the current 12-month period. While cement production is less coal-intensive than sponge iron, it takes up to 250 kg of coal to make a tonne of cement. This implies that rising cement output will boost India’s coal demand by several million tons a year, and the domestic market is unlikely to be able to meet all the demand growth, meaning imports will once again come to the fore.
Coal Gasification
Adani Group plans to start work on its proposed INR700 billion (US$7.47 bn) integrated coal gasification and downstream derivatives plant at Linga in Kalmeshwar near Nagpur this year. This is dubbed as one of the company's key ventures in clean energy. The downstream derivatives of coal gasification include syngas, ammonia, and hydrogen. The Adani Group has an underground coal mine at Gondkhairi. The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) would be acquiring around 400 acres of land on behalf of the Adani Group for the proposed coal gasification project.
Governance
Meghalaya high court (HC) took suo motu cognizance of the coal mine disaster in East Jaintia Hills, where 25 bodies have been recovered so far, and pulled up district civil and police authorities for allowing such illegal operations to continue and ordered immediate arrest of the mine owners and operators. The court’s directives came during the hearing of its ongoing suo motu case on illegal coal mining in the state, initiated in 2022. Coal mining activities in the state was declared illegal by the National Green Tribunal and banned in 2014, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2019.
In a continuous endeavour to improve the quality of domestic coal supply, CIL is progressively stepping up coal despatches through silo based mechanized loading system, integrated with Auto Mechanical Samplers. This technology-driven process ensures greater consistency in coal quality, circumventing human interference, while significantly reducing quality-related concerns of consumers. To ensure an impartial, transparent, and credible determination of coal quality, as stipulated under the provisions of the Fuel Supply Agreement, CIL facilitates sampling and testing through independent Third-Party Sampling Agencies (TPSAs). Currently, 11 TPSAs are on board empaneled by Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFCL) to carry out sampling and analysis at coal loading points of CIL’s subsidiary companies. Coal consumers have the flexibility to select a TPSA of their choice from the PFCL-empaneled agencies for quality assessment. Till December FY 2026, CIL has despatched about 375 MT of coal through rail mode which was sampled by TPSAs. Of this, half of the despatches were made through silos where the installed auto mechanical samplers ensured high standards of coal quality process control. CIL is aiming to increase this quantity to around 80 percent in the current fiscal. In a bid to achieve this steep target the commissioning of new first mile connectivity projects and loading through silos is rigorously followed. Based on coal quality sampling analysis provided by TPSAs and referee labs, CIL’s overall grade conformity has risen to 85 percent till December of the ongoing fiscal year. The same was 82 percent year ago same period. The increased silo loading efforts by CIL are going to further scale up the conformity. CIL has taken steps to introduce online analysis at two of its subsidiaries to obtain real time quality assessment results.
Transport
Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL), a subsidiary of CIL, inaugurated the Dalmia Railway Siding in West Bengal’s Salanpur area at a cost of INR1.10 billion (US$11.76 million (mn)), aiming to significantly strengthen coal evacuation and rail logistics in the region. The commissioning of the new siding is expected to enhance coal dispatch capacity by enabling faster, more efficient and reliable movement, while easing existing logistics constraints in the Salanpur region. The colliery siding has a designed evacuation capacity of 6 million tonnes per annum. It comprises two coal-loading platforms of 650 meters each, a dedicated railway weighbridge and a total siding route length of 2.25 km, with an overall track length of 4.65 km. Coal loading will be carried out using pay loaders, providing operational flexibility. According to ECL, the rail-linked facility will substantially reduce dependence on road transport, improve turnaround time, lower logistics costs and support environmentally sustainable coal movement.
China
China’s coal output is expected to rise 35 MT to 4.86 BT in 2026, a major coal industry group said, the slowest pace this decade despite projections of a second consecutive fall in annual imports due to top supplier Indonesia halting spot exports. Production by the world’s biggest producer, consumer and importer of coal is set to rise 0.7 percent this year, while imports are set to fall 5.1 percent to 465 MT, China Coal Transportation and Distribution Association (CCTD) said. Miners in Indonesia have halted spot coal exports after the government proposed deep production cuts to shore up plunging prices. China will dip into its inventories this year as the pace of consumption will exceed supply growth, CCTD said. China’s coal-fired power generation fell in 2025 for the first time in a decade as its growing renewable fleet helped meet a 5 percent increase in power demand to a record high. Proposals to build new coal-fired power plants are surging, but China is still on track for a peak in emissions by 2030, analysts said.
Rest of Asia and Asia Pacific
Utilities across Asia are scrambling to plug a potential shortfall in critical coal supplies after miners in the top global coal producer Indonesia halted spot coal exports in protest over government proposals to limit output. Indonesia supplied half of all global thermal coal exports in 2025, and is by far the top coal supplier to many of the world's largest coal importers including China, India, Vietnam and the Philippines. Indonesia is by far the world's largest thermal coal exporter, and accounted for 50 percent of all shipments in 2025. The authorities have proved willing to play hardball with the mining sector before, and briefly suspended coal exports in 2022 due to a shortage of coal supplies at local power plants. That suspension triggered a steep climb in global coal prices at the time, and benchmark futures on Asian seaborne thermal coal have already climbed 9 percent to their highest in over a year on the back of the latest intervention. Further price gains in global coal markets are likely as key importers react to the threat of a steep fall in supplies from Indonesia and attempt to secure replacement volumes from other exporters and trading houses. Sixteen different nations imported 1 MT or more of Indonesian thermal coal in 2025. That span of countries ranged from nearby Brunei to China, and includes most of the world's top coal consumers. China, India and The Philippines are the top destinations for Indonesia’s coal exports, and accounted for 68 percent of shipments in 2025.
Indonesia’s coal mining association (ICMA) has objected to steep production cuts for 2026 proposed by the government, saying the move could trigger mass layoffs and harm the mining industry. Most members of the association, which represents companies producing two-thirds of Indonesia’s coal, received output quotas 40 percent-70 percent lower than 2025 levels, the ICMA said. The proposed output cut is an attempt to shore up plunging thermal coal prices amid fears of oversupply by the world’s largest exporter of the fossil fuel, revenues of which have been hit by falling demand in top importers, China and India. With the production scale significantly reduced, companies face economic unfeasibility as fixed costs and obligations cannot be adequately covered, the ICMA said. The cuts exceed the rate of decline anticipated after the government earlier indicated an annual output of 600 MT. Indonesia produced 790 MT of coal in 2025, down 5.5 percent annually. The association said the impact would ripple beyond mining firms, affecting contractors, transport and shipping companies, and raise the risk of loan defaults in coal-producing regions.
The state government of Western Australia committed to a five-year extension of a subsidy to the private Griffin Coal company, which supplies the private Bluewaters power station. The state said the extension would help secure power supplies during the transition to cleaner sources of energy, although it planned to shut the state-owned Muja coal station by 2030. The state’s Chamber of Minerals and Energy called the decision pragmatic and said coal remained important in the state’s grid, which is not connected to the national power network. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has forecast a small power shortfall in the state of 50 megawatt (MW) in the 2025-2026 period in its latest analysis of mid-2025, although longer term the picture is more complex given the uncertainty around closure of large-scale coal- and gas-fired generation. Last year Queensland’s newly elected conservative government vowed to keep coal in the energy mix indefinitely in its energy roadmap.
Origin Energy will extend the operation of all four units of its coal-fired Eraring Power Station to April 2029, to support energy supply in New South Wales state. The 2,880 MW Eraring power plant had been scheduled to shut down in August 2027. However, a December report by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) said Sydney could face blackouts in the second half of this decade if the plant retires as planned. A separate coal plant in Queensland suffered an outage which Clean Energy Council CEO (chief executive officer) Jackie Trad said underlined the urgency of getting more renewables into the grid to replace Australia’s ageing coal fleet, which has an average age of 38 years.
Africa & Middle East
Coal exports from South Africa’s Richards Bay Coal Terminal rose 11 percent to 57.66 MT in 2025, the highest in four years, as freight rail performance improved. South Africa’s coal shipments are still significantly lower than the 76 MT recorded in 2017, mainly due to state-owned freight rail and port operator Transnet's limited capacity to haul commodities to export markets. Major coal exporters including Thungela Resources and Exxaro Resources have, however, pointed to an improving freight rail performance since the second half of 2024. RBCT, which has the capacity to handle 91 MT of coal exports annually, said in a performance update that 7,157 trains were offloaded at the terminal in 2025, up from 6,342 the year before. Asia remains the top destination for South Africa’s coal, although its share of total shipments declined to 79.8 percent in 2025 from 84.5 percent the year before. India is the single largest importer of South Africa’s coal, accounting for 25.75 MT, or 45 percent of total shipments. The portion of South Africa’s coal exports heading to Europe edged up to 7.2 percent last year, from 6.8 percent in 2024, as exports to the Netherlands increased, RBCT data shows. Shipments to the Middle East almost doubled to 3.54 MT, with coal exports to Israel increasing by 1 MT to 1.78 MT.
North & South America
United States (US) President Donald Trump is set to direct the Pentagon to use government funding and Pentagon contracts to sustain US coal-fired power plants. The move will come via an executive order, with Trump directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to enter agreements to buy electricity from coal plants for military operations. Trump is set to unveil a plan by the Department of Energy to provide US$175 million for upgrades at six coal-fired plants in Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. The White House said it would hold an event promoting coal-powered energy sources. Trump last year signed executive orders to increase coal output, in one of his many actions that run counter to global efforts to cut carbon emissions.
Europe
The last Czech black coal shaft will shut at the end of January, closing the door on more than 250 years of deep mining and bringing to an end an industry that powered the rise of heavy industry in Central Europe. The final tons are being hauled from kilometre‑deep shafts at the CSM mine in Stonava, near the Polish border, as low coal prices and Europe’s industrial and environmental transition sap demand for what was once the region’s most prized resource. State‑owned OKD had been preparing to shut down three years ago, until Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 sent energy markets surging and bought the mine a short‑lived extension. For the last time miners rattle into the dark on the underground railway, headlamps flickering across steel supports as machines drill into the coal face. In Poland, black coal mining still employs 70,000, and unions have won pledges to keep mining until 2049. In western Czech Republic, surface mining of lignite is expected to continue for several more years. OKD itself is trying to shape a future above ground. The company aims to stay active in coal trading and develop new ventures including a battery park, a data centre and a small methane‑fuelled power plant using gas seeping from the old shafts.
LPG users get 90-day cut-off notices in PNG serviced areas
7 April: Oil companies have begun issuing 90-day disconnection notices to LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) consumers in Rajasthan where piped natural gas (PNG) is available, directing them to shift to PNG (piped natural gas) or face automatic withdrawal of their LPG connections. The notices started following a Union government order and directions issued by district collectorates. Under the norms, households and commercial users with access to PNG will be asked to move to it; if they do not, their LPG connections will be withdrawn 90 days from the notice date. District administrations, in consultation with city gas distributors (CGDs), have mapped eligible consumers and prepared lists across the state. Rajasthan’s 13 CGDs currently serve about 1.25 lakh PNG consumers. Oil PSUs (public sector undertakings) have begun cancelling LPG connections of consumers who already have active PNG supply. However, the process has not been implemented in Jaipur because the CGD there did not register consumers with Aadhaar while issuing connections, making it difficult to map users. PSU said new commercial LPG connections are still being issued even in areas with PNG infrastructure, but applicants must submit an undertaking stating they have already applied for a PNG connection.
Indian Oil ramps up auto LPG supply, urges shift to petrol in Bengaluru
6 April: Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), reiterating that it has increased LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) supply in Bengaluru, urged auto drivers to temporarily switch to petrol, noting that nearly 70 percent of the city’s autorickshaw fleet is equipped with dual-fuel capability. According to IOC, auto LPG is currently being sold at INR89.5 per litre at PSU (public sector undertaking) outlets in Bengaluru, compared to INR99-105 per litre at private stations. This price gap, coupled with the shutdown of a large number of private outlets, has pushed more customers towards public sector pumps. Nearly 80 percent of over 300 private auto LPG dispensing stations (ALDS) in Karnataka are non-operational due to geopolitical disruptions, leaving PSU-run stations to absorb the bulk of the demand. IOC said drivers in areas facing long wait times may switch to petrol to maintain operations, adding that such shifts have already been observed in towns like Puttur where there are fewer supply points.
HPCL ensures uninterrupted LPG, fuel supply, steps up action against malpractices
6 April: Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) has maintained uninterrupted nationwide supply of petrol, diesel, and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), while intensifying enforcement measures to curb malpractices in distribution. The company reported sales of 38,986 kilolitres (over 38 million litres) of petrol and 69,357 kilolitres (over 69 million litres) of diesel on 4 April 2026, serving more than 19.4 million customers across the country. To ensure smooth logistics, 9,951 fuel tankers were deployed to retail outlets, facilitating timely deliveries. In the LPG segment, HPCL delivered 14.4 lakh cylinders on the same day, maintaining normal supply levels. The company also supplied 31,786 units of 5-kg free trade LPG cylinders and 2,383 units of 2-kg cylinders, reinforcing its commitment to consistent and reliable service.
India’s average daily LPG production declines to 46k-47k tonnes
6 April: India’s average daily production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has declined to around 46,000-47,000 tonnes in the current week compared to a production rate of 50,000 tonnes achieved in the last week of March. The production of LPG is also linked to the type of crude oil one is processing in the refinery. It is not big, but a slight variation. It is not a huge reduction (in LPG production), she explained later on reasons behind the decline.
Government tightens norms for supply of commercial LPG cylinders
5 April: The Delhi Government has tightened norms for the supply of commercial LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders, making it mandatory for businesses to either have or apply for a piped natural gas (PNG) connection in areas where the network is available. In an order issued by the Food, Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department on 2 April, the government amended a key clause of its recently notified policy on distribution of commercial LPG cylinders. Under the revised rules, commercial and industrial consumers will be eligible to receive LPG supplies only if they are registered with the concerned oil marketing company (OMC) and have applied for a PNG connection, wherever the network exists. According to the order, in areas where PNG infrastructure is not yet in place, consumers will be required to submit an application expressing their intent to switch to PNG once it becomes available. OMCs will be required to verify documents at least once to ensure compliance with these conditions. Records of consumers who have expressed intent to shift to PNG will also be shared with Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) for further action.
India makes first Iranian oil buy in seven years with no payment problems
4 April: Indian refiners have purchased Iranian oil amid the Middle East conflict that has disrupted supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, the oil ministry said. The world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer, India has not received a cargo from Tehran since May 2019, following US (United States) pressure not to buy Iranian crude, but supply disruptions from the U.S.-Israel war have hit the South Asian nation hard. India has secured its full requirements of crude oil for the coming months, the ministry said. India has bought 44,000 metric tonnes of Iranian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) loaded on a sanctioned vessel. The ministry said the vessel, which berthed at the western port of Mangalore, is discharging the fuel.
India steps up fuel supply, maritime safety measures amid West Asia crisis
4 April: The Centre has intensified efforts to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply, safeguard maritime operations, and assist Indian nationals abroad amid the evolving geopolitical situation in West Asia, particularly following disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz. The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas said there is no shortage of petrol, diesel, or LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) across the country and urged citizens to avoid panic buying and rely only on verified information. The Ministry said that all retail fuel outlets are functioning normally, with adequate stocks available nationwide. To shield consumers from rising global crude prices, the Centre has reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel by INR10 per litre and imposed export levies on diesel and aviation turbine fuel to maintain domestic availability. Despite supply pressures, around 51 lakh domestic LPG cylinders were delivered in a single day, while over 5.7 lakh 5-kg Free Trade LPG cylinders have been distributed since 23 March. These smaller cylinders are available at distributors on showing valid ID, without the need for address proof. The Ministry reported that over 3.5 lakh PNG (piped natural gas) connections have been activated since March, with efforts underway to expand coverage further, especially for households, restaurants, and institutions. To curb hoarding and black marketing, enforcement agencies conducted over 3,700 raids in a single day, issuing around 1,000 show-cause notices and suspending 27 LPG distributorships so far. States and Union Territories have been directed to intensify monitoring, conduct daily press briefings, and counter misinformation. Dedicated control rooms and helplines have been set up in many regions to keep citizens informed.
Government to release remaining INR175 bn LPG compensation to OMCs in FY27
4 April: The oil ministry has informed a parliamentary panel that the remaining INR175 billion compensation for LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) under-recoveries will be released to oil marketing companies (OMCs) in seven tranches during FY27. In August 2025, the ministry announced a compensation of INR300 billion for the three OMCs — Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) — for under-recoveries on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The under-recoveries on domestic LPG (negative buffer balance) of the OMCs stood at INR412,67 billion as on 31 March 2025. In view of the accumulated under-recoveries and the projected losses up to 31 March 2026, the government approved compensation of INR300 billion in August 2025, to be released in 12 equal tranches commencing from November 2025, the ministry said. Since the Cabinet, while approving the compensation package of INR300 billion, stipulated a 12-tranche disbursement arrangement, the Budget provisions for FY26 and FY27 have been scheduled accordingly, the ministry said. In August last year, the government approved a INR300 billion compensation for LPG under recoveries in FY25 and a INR120 billion subsidy to continue providing Ujjwala consumers with affordable LPG cylinders in FY26.
7th India-flagged LPG tanker crosses Hormuz, 17 in queue
4 April: A seventh India-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker, Green Sanvi, crossed the Strait of Hormuz. So far, six vessels carrying LPG have reached Indian ports after crossing the Strait since the war broke out in West Asia. Now 17 Indian ships remain stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz, including two — Green Asha and Jag Vikram — loaded with LPG. These two may soon head to India as well. The three LPG carriers were currently drifting northeast of Abu Musa Island in the Persian Gulf, and they were following instructions from the Indian Navy and awaiting orders for transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, a foreign vessel, purportedly carrying Iranian oil to India, has switched its destination mid-voyage and is heading towards China.
Oil India records highest-ever crude output in Jaisalmer
2 April: Amid ongoing geopolitical tensions involving countries such as the United States (US) and Iran in the Gulf region, India’s leading public sector oil company, Oil India Ltd (OIL), has achieved a significant milestone in the extraction of heavy crude oil from the Jodhpur Sandstone formation in the Thar Desert of Jaisalmer. The company has recorded its highest-ever crude oil production of 1,202 barrels per day (bpd) from this field. The crude oil is being transported by tankers to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) facilities in Mehsana, from where it is further sent through pipelines to the Koyali refinery operated by Indian Oil Corporation. This output is about 70 percent higher than last year’s production of 705 bpd. By the end of the financial year, Oil India’s annual crude oil production from the Thar Desert in Jaisalmer reached 43,773 metric tonnes, up from 32,787 metric tonnes in the previous year.
No windfall tax on diesel, ATF exports from RIL SEZ refinery
2 April: The reimposed windfall export taxes on diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) will not apply to Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL)’s SEZ refinery due to judicial rulings. The government revised fuel levies, reintroducing export duties of INR21.50 per litre on diesel and INR29.50 per litre on ATF, while keeping petrol exports exempt. The move coincided with a INR10 per litre cut in excise duty on petrol and diesel. Initially, it was not clear if exports from RIL’s special economic zone (SEZ) refinery - one of the largest contributors to India’s refined product exports - would retain exemptions similar to those under the 2022 windfall tax regime. RIL owns and operates two refineries at Jamnagar in Gujarat - a 33 million tonnes (MT) per year unit catering to the domestic market and a 35.2 MT only-for-exports SEZ unit. According to a Citi Research report, the export taxes are equivalent to US$36 per barrel on diesel and US$50 per barrel on jet fuel. The government announced the first material reduction in domestic petroleum excise duty since April 2022, offering relief to oil marketing companies (OMCs) that had been incurring huge losses after being unable to raise retail prices of petrol and diesel despite a sharp surge in crude oil costs.
Price of commercial LPG cylinders hiked by INR195.50 in Delhi
1 April: Prices of 19 kg (kilogram) commercial LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders have been hiked, amid the ongoing West Asia conflict and volatility in global energy markets. In Delhi, the price has increased by INR195.50, while in Kolkata, the hike stands at INR218. The increase in price comes despite the Delhi government increasing the allocation of commercial LPG cylinders to 50 percent of the average daily consumption, raising supplies from 1,800 to 4,500 cylinders (19 kg equivalent) per day in line with directives from the Centre. Food and Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the enhanced quota would ensure uninterrupted supply for essential services, hotels, industries and migrant labourers, and urged residents not to believe rumours of shortages. The revised policy divides allocation into seven priority categories. Hotels, restaurants, dhabas, food processing units and dairies will receive the largest share—3,375 cylinders per day, or 75 percent of the total. Essential services such as educational and health institutions, bus stands, railways and airports have been allotted 225 cylinders (5 percent), while government institutions, PSUs, industrial canteens and community kitchens will receive an equal share. Caterers and banquet services have been allocated 225 cylinders (5 percent), and sports facilities another 225. Industrial units, including dry‑cleaning units, packing facilities and pharmaceutical establishments, have been allotted 45 cylinders (1 percent). In addition, migrant labourers have been provided a protected social allocation of 684 cylinders equivalent per day in the 5‑kg category.
Amid West Asia crisis, Coal India plans to offer 25.6 MT of coal in April via auction
5 April: Coal India Ltd (CIL) plans to offer 25.62 million tonnes (MT) of coal through online auction in the current month, a move expected to mitigate the impact of energy supply shocks on industries amid the West Asia crisis. The disruptions in LNG, LPG and crude oil supplies from the Middle East have increased demand for coal, driving up its import prices. Coal India had offered 32.532 MT of coal through e-auction in March against 20.5 MT in February this year.
Western Coalfields Nagpur achieves 63.03 MT of coal production in FY26
3 April: Coal India Ltd arm Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL), Nagpur, has produced 63.03 million tonnes (MT) of coal during the financial year 2025-26, the company said. WCL, Nagpur, produced 63.03 MT of coal, achieved 60 million tonnes of coal despatch, and carried out 354.33 million cubic meters of Over Burden Removal (OBR), the company said. Further, during FY 2025-26, WCL obtained incremental environmental clearance for 5.375 MT and has secured stage-II forest clearance for 207.76 hectares of forest land across seven projects.
Northern Coalfields supplies 137 MT dry fuel in FY26
3 April: Coal India Ltd arm Northern Coalfields Ltd (NCL) said that it supplied a record 137.08 million tonnes (MT) of coal to its customers in power and other sectors during 2025-26, significantly reinforcing India's energy security amid surging domestic demand and shifting global dynamics. Of the total dispatch, approximately 86 percent, equivalent to 117.85 MT, was supplied to coal-based power plants.
Coal ministry surpasses 200 MT milestone in coal production and dispatches for FY 2025-26
2 April: The coal ministry said it crossed a whopping 200 million tonnes (MT) in coal production and dispatches from the commercial and captive mining activity in the financial year 2025-26. The ministry termed it a 'watershed moment' for India’s coal sector. Coal production from the captive and commercial mines came in at 210.46 MT, a 10 percent year-on-year growth as compared to 190.95 MT in the previous year. In terms of despatches, the ministry registered a 7.35 percent year-on-year jump to 204.61 MT as against 190.42 MT a year ago. To achieve this milestone, 12 captive and commercial coal blocks were operationalised through the grant of Mine Opening Permission, significantly expanding the operational coal mining base by adding more than 86 MT of annual production capacity, the ministry said.
SECL’s production rises over 5 percent in FY26 amid rising demands
1 April: Coal India Ltd arm South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) said it has registered a 5.26 percent growth in production and 4.6 percent increase in offtake, the volume of dry fuel supplied, in 2025-26, signalling steady progress amid rising energy demand. SECL recorded the total coal production of 176.2 million tonnes (MT) in FY26, up 5.26 percent from 167.4 MT produced in 2024-25. The company’s coal offtake in FY26 stood at 178.6 MT compared to 170.7 MT in FY25. With 364.3 million cubic meters of overburden removal from mining pits, SECL achieved its highest-ever OBR, it said.
Central Electricity Authority removes mandatory prepaid condition for smart meters
7 April: The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has rolled back a key provision in India’s smart metering policy, removing the mandatory "prepayment or prepaid mode" requirement for electricity consumers. Through its latest amendment to the Installation and Operation of Meters Regulations, CEA has modified the earlier 2022 rule that required all consumers in areas with communication networks to be supplied electricity through prepaid smart meters. However, in the latest amendment notified on 1 April, the CEA has dropped the "prepayment mode" clause. The revised provision now states that consumers will simply be supplied electricity through smart meters conforming to Indian standards, without specifying any billing mode. The change marks a significant policy shift. While prepaid functionality is no longer mandatory, the amendment still retains it as an optional feature within Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). The regulation specifies that AMI systems should include prepayment capability but stops short of enforcing it. In Uttar Pradesh (UP), the power corporation has installed over 84.5 lakh smart meters, of which 75.5 lakh are smart prepaid meters. There are over 38 million power consumers in the state. The rollback comes after sustained objections from consumer groups, including the concerns raised by chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad and CERC advisory committee member Avadhesh Kumar Verma. Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had clarified in Parliament that smart prepaid electricity meters are optional and based on consumer choice, and not compulsory under the Electricity Act, 2003. In the latest amendment to the Installation and Operation of Meters Regulations of Central Electricity Authority, those areas where there is no communication network, the discoms (distribution companies) can provide power billing with prepaid meters. In Uttar Pradesh, there are around 12 lakh prepaid meters.
With GPS, distribution company set to map its power network
5 April: The city power department has launched a GPS mapping survey of the electrical infrastructure across the district to improve power management. The survey — which aims to create a comprehensive digital database across 180 sectors and over 70 notified villages — will provide real-time data on power distribution and load requirements to address speedy fault correction, thefts and issues related to overloading, power department said. This measure is expected to mitigate problems associated with system overloading, which has been a key concern for maintaining a stable power supply to consumers. The mapping process employs advanced GPS technology, ensuring that each pole, transformer, panel box and other infrastructure components are accurately recorded on the district’s digital map. Each transformer will be assigned a unique code number and plotted onto this system, facilitating a thorough audit of the entire electrical network. GB Nagar’s Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) network includes over 150 substations and more than 24,000 transformers (18,000 transformers placed throughout urban and rural Noida, while 6,000 serve the more rural areas of Greater Noida, Dadri, Jewar, and Dankaur) across the district, serving approximately 4.75 lakh consumers in Noida and Greater Noida.
Jammu and Kashmir government announces revival of 120-year-old power project
2 April: As the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government is accelerating work on power projects in the wake of the Government of India putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, it has announced to revive the historic Mohra Power Project — a 120-year-old hydroelectric facility that has remained defunct since the 1990s. Chief Minister (CM) Omar Abdullah, who holds charge of the power department, said that the Board of Directors of the J&K State Power Development Corporation had initiated the process for the project’s revival.
Tata Power resumes operations at Mundra plant after nine-month hiatus
1 April: After a nine-month shutdown, Tata Power resumed operations at its Mundra power plant in Gujarat, which had been idled due to financial strain caused by a surge in imported Indonesian coal prices and the expiry of government subsidies under Section 11 on June 30, 2025. The 4,150 megawatt (MW) facility, India’s third-largest, was awarded to the company in December 2006. Tata Power plans to sign similar agreements with the governments of Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
India moves closer to nuclear fuel self-reliance
7 April: India has moved closer to producing its own nuclear fuel after a domestically designed reactor began a controlled nuclear reaction, an important step before it can start generating power. India, the world’s most populous country and third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has ambitious plans to expand nuclear power capacity from its current 8 gigawatt (GW) to 100 GW by 2047. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam attained “criticality”, the stage at which a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction starts. The reactor does not yet generate electricity for the grid. That comes in the next stages, once the reactor moves to full power operation.
Cairn starts using 25 MW hybrid renewable power in India
7 April: Cairn Oil & Gas, an India-based oil and gas exploration and production company, has begun sourcing 25 megawatt (MW) of captive renewable hybrid power from Serentica Renewables India Pvt Ltd for its Barmer operations in Rajasthan. Under the Power Delivery Agreement, the supply is set to meet 20 percent of the power demand of India’s largest onshore oil production field. Cairn has started drawing solar and wind power from Serentica Renewables’ Gadag facility in Karnataka. Structured at a 70 percent Capacity Utilisation Factor, the arrangement will deliver about 153 million kilowatt hour (kWh) of renewable energy annually to the Mangala facility in Barmer.
Amid LPG crisis, biogas powers hundreds of kitchens in UP village
6 April: Chandauli, At a time when concerns over cooking gas supply have emerged in parts of the country, a village in eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP) has turned self-reliant, with biogas powering kitchens of over 125 households at nearly half the cost of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). Ekauni village’s initiative has drawn attention for its cost-effectiveness and environmental benefits. The biogas plant, installed with the support of a Pune-based clean energy company, supplies gas to around 125 families in the village, which has a population of about 500-600. Around 3,000 kilogram (kg) of cow dung is processed every day by mixing it with water in a tank, after which methane gas is generated, stored and supplied to households through pipelines, he explained. The plant will be fully handed over to the village owner in 2032. The model has not only reduced dependence on the conventional cooking gas, but also contributed to cleaner surroundings and sustainable energy use in the village.
CM unveils Delhi’s air pollution mitigation plan for 2026
3 April: Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Rekha Gupta unveiled the Air Pollution Mitigation Action Plan 2026, announcing a series of measures including strict enforcement of the “No PUC, No Fuel” rule, curbs on polluting vehicles and a push for cleaner transport and dust control. Announcing the rollout of the plan, she said the initiative builds on the government’s ‘historic’ Green Budget for 2026-27 and aims to translate clean air goals into measurable outcomes. The action plan, announced after a high-level review meeting held at the Mukhyamantri Janseva Sadan, is aimed at tackling key sources of pollution such as vehicular emissions, road dust, construction activity, industrial discharge and biomass burning. She said clean air and environmental protection were now central to the government’s policy framework and would be backed by dedicated budgetary allocations and strict enforcement. From 1 November, entry of goods vehicles into the national capital will be restricted to those compliant with Bharat Stage (BS)-VI norms or powered by CNG or electricity. The government will also regulate non-essential traffic inflow and may consider staggered office timings, work-from-home directives and additional restrictions on polluting vehicles during periods of severe air pollution. As part of efforts to reduce vehicular emissions, the government plans to expand
India to increase penalties on wind and solar generators for deviating from supply pledges
2 April: India’s wind and solar generators will face higher penalties from April 2027, a year later than planned, when they provide either more or less electricity than they are scheduled to supply to the grid, an order by the country’s power regulator said. The "deviation charges" apply when differences in generation compared with the scheduled supply force grid operators to curb power generated from other plants to stabilise the system. The new regulations aim to gradually narrow the gap between the amount of electricity producers commit to supply and what they supply in reality. Wind and solar generators already face deviation charges, but the new order will increase them under a complex calculation. Industry groups had said stricter regulations could lead to revenue loss and limit investor interest in India’s clean energy sector. India aims to build 500 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2030. The government initially said the penalties for missing grid supply would take effect from April 2026, but they have been delayed by a year after the clean energy ministry asked the regulator to review industry concerns.
China hikes gasoline, diesel prices for second time in fortnight
7 April: China announced an increase in gasoline and diesel prices for the second time in about a fortnight due to rising international oil prices triggered by the ongoing war in West Asia. China already increased gasoline and diesel prices on 23 March as part of preparations for a fuel crisis amid apprehensions around the current US (United States)-Israel-Iran war. Since the adjustment of domestic oil prices in late March, international crude oil prices have experienced significant fluctuations, China’s top economic planner, the NDRC (National Development and Reform Commission) said. Because of control measures, the prices of gasoline and diesel will increase by 420 yuan (US$61) and 400 yuan (US$58) per tonne, respectively, it said.
Iraq could restore oil exports to pre-war level within a week if Hormuz reopens: Basra Oil chief
7 April: Iraq could restore crude oil exports to around 3.4 million barrels per day (bpd) within a week provided the Iran war ends and the Strait of Hormuz reopens, the head of the country’s Basra Oil Company chief Bassem Abdul Karim said. Among Gulf oil producers, Iraq has suffered the biggest drop in oil revenue as a result of the effective closure of the Strait, a Reuters analysis has found, because it lacks alternative shipment routes. But the country, the second biggest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), can quickly restore output to levels before US (United States)-Israeli attacks on Iran at the end of February led to the effective closure of the waterway. The Strait typically is the route for about a fifth of global oil and LNG flows.
Brazil’s free cooking gas program threatened by energy price spike ahead of election
6 April: Surging energy prices could scupper a popular Brazilian program that provides free cooking gas to around 50 million people, fuel distributors, resellers and analysts warned, six months ahead of a presidential election. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva launched the "People's Gas" program as his flagship energy initiative in November as he was gearing up to seek reelection in October. The US (United States)-Israeli war on Iran has sharply boosted liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices in Brazil. The government announced a new 330-million-real subsidy for LPG imports that it said would mitigate the war’s effects on prices. LPG from that auction has already been delivered to distributors, who passed the price hike on to resellers across Brazil. But the rules of the People’s Gas program do not let them charge more based on higher costs, the Abragas gas resellers association head Jose Luiz Rocha said. Rocha said gas resellers are holding discussions with the government over price adjustments. Brasilia has a history of subsidizing cooking gas for the poorest Brazilians, but Lula’s government has expanded the program, tripling its reach to nearly a quarter of Brazilians.
OPEC+ agrees to boost oil output when Strait of Hormuz reopens
5 April: OPEC+ (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus) agreed to raise its oil output quotas by 206,000 barrels per day (bpd) for May, a modest rise that will largely exist on paper as its key members are unable to raise production due to the US (United States)-Israeli war with Iran. The war has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz - the world’s most important oil route - since the end of February and cut exports from OPEC+ members Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq, the only countries in the group which were able to significantly raise production even before the conflict began. Crude prices have surged to a four-year high close to US$120 a barrel, translating into soaring prices for transport fuels which are pressuring consumers and businesses across the globe, and triggering government action to conserve supplies. The OPEC+ quota increase of 206,000 bpd represents less than 2 percent of the supply disrupted by the Hormuz closure, but it signals readiness to raise output once the waterway reopens, OPEC+ said. Consultancy Energy Aspects called the increase "academic" as long as disruptions in the strait persist.
Nigeria’s Seplat Energy resumes operations as oil workers halt strike action
4 April: Workers at Seplat Energy, Nigeria’s largest independent oil and gas producer, have suspended strike action after the company issued written commitments on pay rises, their union said. Workers walked out after wage negotiations stalled, raising concerns about oil and gas output at a time when Nigeria is seeking to maximise production amid rising global oil prices. Nigeria’s Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association said it had directed members at Seplat Energy to immediately suspend industrial action after negotiations resumed with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC). The union said talks on a 2026 collective bargaining agreement would continue, with the aim of concluding outstanding issues by 13 April. Seplat targets output of up to 155,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) this year, up from an average of 131,506 boepd last year as it seeks to scale production while remaining a major supplier of gas to Nigeria’s domestic power market.
Morocco has diesel stocks for 51 days: Energy ministry
2 April: Import-dependent Morocco has enough diesel and petrol to cover respectively 51 days and 55 days, while coal and gas supplies have been secured to the end of June, the energy ministry said. The unprecedented energy supply disruption that has resulted from war in the Middle East and led to a record monthly gain in international crude prices in March is particularly painful for Morocco, which has no domestic refining capacity. Fuel stations raised diesel and petrol prices by about 30 percent after US (United States) and Israeli attacks on Iran at the end of February heightened tension across the region. The Moroccan government, which removed diesel subsidies in 2014, has reintroduced subsidies for professional transporters, including taxis, buses and trucks, to keep prices stable. Morocco has been entirely reliant on imported diesel and petrol since 2015, after its sole refinery shut over unpaid debts and entered liquidation.
Pakistan hikes fuel prices sharply amid spiralling Mideast conflict
2 April: Pakistan hiked consumer prices for diesel and petrol sharply, its second increase in less than a month, amid rising global oil prices spurred by the conflict in the Middle East. The price of diesel would be raised by 54.9 percent to 520.35 rupees (US$1.88) per litre, and petrol by 42.7 percent to 458.40 rupees per litre. The South Asian nation raised consumer prices for diesel and petrol by about 20 percent, citing higher oil prices driven by the US (United States)-Israeli war on Iran. Pakistan imports oil mainly from Saudi Arabia and the UAE through the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik Malik said the government had given a subsidy of 129 billion rupees in the last three weeks, but it was no longer affordable due to the hike in international oil prices.
New Zealand enters deal to support additional diesel storage
2 April: New Zealand’s government said it would commit NZ$21.6 million (US$12.42 million) to the rapid expansion of diesel storage at Marsden Point in the country’s North Island as it works to shield the country from fuel supply disruptions linked to the Iran war. The funding will support facility owner Channel Infrastructure NZ to increase diesel storage by roughly 90 million litres. Channel Infrastructure currently has 290 million litres of storage in service and a further 350 million litres of available storage in tanks, according to the company. Regional Development and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones said the added diesel capacity, equivalent to about eight days of supply, would help New Zealand respond if opportunities arose to secure diesel beyond volumes already expected.
Russia bans producers from exporting gasoline until end-July
2 April: Russia has imposed a ban on gasoline exports for producers of the fuel until the end of July, the government said. It said the ban was introduced to keep the domestic market supply steady amid high seasonal fuel demand during the agricultural sowing campaign as well as due to global oil price increases. The ban does not cover countries with which Russia has inter-governmental agreements on fuel supplies, such as Mongolia. Several regions in Russia and parts of Ukraine under Russian control were reporting gasoline shortages last year after Ukraine attacked Russian oil refineries and amid a seasonal surge in fuel demand. Russia has repeatedly imposed curbs on gasoline and diesel exports to rein in rising fuel prices and tackle shortages. The country exported nearly 5 million metric tonnes of gasoline last year, or about 117,000 barrels per day (bpd).
Saudi Aramco and Sonatrach raise LPG prices for April by between 38 percent and 80 percent
1 April: Saudi Arabia’s state oil producer Saudi Aramco and Algeria’s Sonatrach have raised official selling prices for LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) in April by between 38 percent and 80 percent due to limited global supply, traders said. The war in the Middle East has led to the largest energy supply crisis in decades, pushing global prices to multi-year highs. Some LPG production capacity in the Gulf has been damaged, and shipments of propane and butane from countries in the region, which previously accounted for approximately 30 percent of global seaborne LPG exports, have been suspended since early March due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Southeast Asia’s robust Brazilian fuel oil imports ease war-fuelled supply concerns
1 April: Brazilian fuel oil imports in Southeast Asia jumped in March, shipping data showed, easing concerns of tight marine fuel supply this month after the US (United States)-Israeli war with Iran crimped shipments from the Middle East. Southeast Asia’s fuel oil imports from Brazil more than doubled last month compared to February, data from analytics firms Kpler and Vortexa showed, mostly heading to the world’s top ship refuelling hub of Singapore and Malaysia.
Brazil natural gas distributors see Petrobras raising prices by some 20 percent in May
7 April: Brazil’s oil company Petrobras could raise the prices of natural gas sold to distributors by some 20 percent starting in May due to a global hike in oil prices, the industry group Abegas executive director Marcelo Mendonca said. Petrobras updates natural gas prices quarterly, with the readjustments tracking Brent oil. The last change took place in early February, before a jump in global oil prices due to the US (United States)-Israeli war on Iran. Based on current market data, Abegas fears that an even higher increase, of over 35 percent, could happen in August, Mendonca said. Distributors were asking the Brazilian government to take measures to ease the impact of potentially higher natural gas prices, as it already did with diesel and jet fuel, Mendonca said.
Caturus reaches full commercialization for US Commonwealth LNG project
7 April: Caturus said it had reached full commercialization of its Commonwealth LNG project in Louisiana after securing long-term offtake agreements, paving the way for project financing and a final investment decision in the coming weeks. EQT LNG Trading, Glencore, Mercuria, Malaysia's Petronas LNG and Saudi Aramco’s Aramco Trading Americas have each signed sale and purchase agreements for output from the facility, the company said. US (United States) LNG developers are securing long-term buyers to advance projects amid strong global demand, even as costs and financing discipline remain key hurdles. The US$12.5 billion Phase 1 development, located in Cameron Parish, is expected to start operations in 2030 and generate about US$3.5 billion in annual export revenue once online.
Freeport LNG seeks approval to demolish obsolete import facilities in Texas
7 April: Freeport LNG has asked US (United States) regulators for permission to demolish facilities in Texas that were previously used to import liquefied natural gas (LNG). While the US was once a major importer of the fuel, the shale revolution transformed the domestic gas market and turned the country into the world’s largest LNG exporter. Freeport has not imported LNG since 2011. Freeport, the third largest LNG exporter in the US, said it wants FERC approval for the project by the end of this year, adding that removing the unused infrastructure would enhance operational safety and significantly reduce the time employees spend maintaining and inspecting non-operational assets.
Australia weighs securing domestic gas supplies as winter concerns grow
2 April: Australia said it may invoke its gas security policy to safeguard domestic supply for its east coast as authorities warn of potential shortages during the winter months amid global energy disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict. Resources Minister Madeleine King said the government was considering activating the so-called Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism (ADGSM) which would force exporters to prioritise local supply. A decision is expected next month following consultations with major gas producers. The ADGSM mechanism requires gas exporters to offer uncontracted gas to the domestic market before international buyers and ensures Australian buyers are not charged more than foreign customers for such supplies.
Italy to get LNG from QatarEnergy-Exxon’s US Golden Pass from June
2 April: Italy will begin receiving liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Golden Pass LNG facility in the United States (US), a joint venture between QatarEnergy and Exxon Mobil, from June. The LNG tankers from the United States will help Italy plug a potentially costly supply gap due to disruptions from Qatar linked to the US-Israeli war against Iran. Italy is already receiving LNG from the United States but these cargoes would mark the first LNG coming from Golden Pass facilities in Texas to Italy's Adriatic LNG terminal. In March, US exports of LNG rose to an all-time high as plants ran above nameplate capacity and new units started up, financial firm LSEG data showed. Exxon Mobil said gas exports from Golden Pass LNG would start in the second quarter of this year.
Ukraine’s gas imports tumble, further imports expected to be low
1 April: Ukraine sharply cut its natural gas imports on 1 April, and analysts said they would likely remain low at least through April, with purchases possibly increasing if prices on the European market decline. The war in Iran has sent global gas and oil prices surging. Data from the gas transmission system operator showed Ukraine planned to import 0.8 million cubic meters (mcm) of gas import, exclusively from Poland, against 23 mcm. In the January-to-March period, Ukraine received gas from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania. After Russia stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian gas production late last year, Ukraine, which previously imported only small volumes of gas, was forced to increase daily imports to around 24 mcm. Ukraine ended the 2025/26 heating season on March 10 and gas reserves in storage stood at 9.5 billion cubic meters (bcm), 1.6 times higher than a year earlier. Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal has said Ukraine intends to start the 2026/27 heating season with at least 13 bcm of gas in underground storage – roughly the same volume as in the previous season. Analysts said Ukraine can acquire the gas needed for the next heating season from domestic production, without resorting to costly imports.
Thailand seeks more LNG from Malaysia
1 April: Thailand is actively seeking additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from Malaysia following disruptions caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict. Thailand would need to diversify some of its LNG supply away from the Middle East, estimated at roughly 5 percent to 10 percent, the energy ministry said. The ministry said that discussions are underway with Petronas, though he clarified that Thailand's state-controlled energy firm PTT PCL handles supply procurement. The ministry said the country has requested additional gas supplies from the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area (MTJDA), a shared resource zone jointly managed by both countries.
Israel halt order threatens Energean’s US$1 bn gas expansion timeline
1 April: Oil and gas producer Energean is spending about US$10 million a month to keep its shut-in Israeli offshore operations on standby, and its more than US$1 billion Katlan project will be delayed if the Iran war lasts beyond May, its CEO (chief executive officer) Mathios Rigas said. Before the shutdown, Energean produced 15,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil alongside gas. Following facility upgrades, production will hit 20,000 bpd upon restart, helping offset deferred income, he said. The planned May launch of Katlan, which was discovered by Energean in 2022 near two other projects it owns off Israel’s coast, will be delayed if the war has not been resolved by then, he said, though there will be no material impact if it ends sooner. Regional supply squeezes and Egyptian domestic gas shortages mean Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and their neighbours need over 100 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas annually, he estimated. Energean has booked capacity to supply 1 bcm of gas annually from Israel to Egypt through a planned pipeline, which remains significantly cheaper than imported LNG.
US power use to beat record highs in 2026 and 2027 as AI use surges: EIA
7 April: United States (US) power consumption, which hit its second straight annual record high in 2025, will rise further in 2026 and 2027, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said. The EIA projected power demand will rise from a record 4,195 billion kilowatt hour (kWh) in 2025 to 4,244 billion kWh in 2026 and 4,381 billion kWh in 2027. The EIA forecasts power sales in 2026 will rise to 1,520 billion kWh for residential consumers, 1,528 billion kWh for commercial customers and 1,053 billion kWh for industrial customers. Those forecasts compare with all-time highs of 1,515 billion kWh for residential consumers in 2025, 1,493 billion kWh in 2025 for commercial customers and 1,064 billion kWh for industrial customers in 2000.
Brazil power regulator advances process against Enel unit in Sao Paulo
7 April: Brazil’s power regulator Aneel decided to move forward with a forfeiture process that could ultimately lead to the termination of a concession held by a local unit of Italian power company Enel in Sao Paulo, preventing the automatic renewal of its contract. In December, Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira urged Aneel to initiate Enel’s termination process after power outages hit more than 2 million consumers in the Sao Paulo metropolitan area following extreme weather events.
Egypt raises electricity prices for higher-use households, businesses amid energy crisis
4 April: Egypt has raised electricity prices for higher-use residential consumers and commercial users starting in April, the electricity ministry said. The ministry said lower-consumption households would be shielded from the increases, which would be limited to higher-use segments and commercial users in an effort to maintain electricity supplies across the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. It said electricity prices for residential consumption bands of up to 2,000 kilowatt hour (kWh) per month would remain unchanged, while tariffs for higher residential brackets would rise by an average of 16 percent. Commercial electricity prices across all brackets would increase by an average of about 20 percent, it said.
Spanish wind industry warns European Union windfall tax could hurt investment
6 April: Spain’s wind industry association AEE warned that a proposed windfall tax on energy firms' profits could curb investment in renewable energy just as Europe seeks to cut its reliance on fossil fuels. According to the AEE, renewable energy, particularly wind, has proven to be the most effective mechanism for keeping prices in check in Spain, one of Europe’s leaders in the use of eolic power. The AEE has more than 350 members including power utilities Iberdrola, Endesa, Acciona, Portugal’s energy firm Galp, as well as developers, wind turbine manufacturers, consultants, financial institutions and insurers.
Turkish hydroelectric power output peaks at 40 percent, easing war-related energy pressures
3 April: Turkey’s hydroelectric plant power production in March nearly doubled from a year earlier to 40 percent, as heavy rainfall helped to ease pressure on the energy bill of one of Europe’s largest natural gas importers. Turkey used 16 billion cubic meters, or more than a quarter, of the natural gas it imported last year for electricity generation, according to market regulator EPDK. Hydroelectric plants lessen the need for thermal plants to use imported natural gas, which like oil, has seen a global price surge due to the war in the Middle East. According to data from Turkey’s national energy exchange and market operator EPIAS, the share of hydroelectric power plants in licensed electricity production was only 21 percent in March last year and amounted to 16 percent throughout 2025, which was the driest year in five decades. Turkey’s private hydroelectric power plant operators' body HESIAD head Elvan Tugsuz Guven said the plants will maintain a high share of electricity production until June, unless an extraordinary situation arises. Guven said the increase in hydroelectric power plant (HPP) production, which was 26 percent of Turkey’s electricity generation capacity at the end of 2025 with 32 gigawatt (GW) of installed power, has replaced natural gas.
British utility SSE lifts earnings forecast as renewables boost output
2 April: British utility SSE raised its annual earnings forecast by lifting the lower end of its guided range, supported by increased renewable generation output and network investments. The profit upgrade comes as energy and fuel prices rise amid conflict in the Middle East, spurring the UK (United Kingdom) government to weigh measures to protect households from higher costs, and as global renewable power output and demand rise. Output from SSE’s renewable division is expected to rise 10 percent to 14.5 terawatt hour (TWh) in the fiscal year 2025/26, helped by increasing capacity from its construction programme, while its regulated networks businesses are seen delivering around a 60 percent increase in capital investment year-on-year. The electricity provider launched a 33 billion pound (US$43.59 billion) five-year investment plan in November to boost its renewables portfolio, highlighting the wider need to modernise Britain’s ageing grid amid growing power demand from the electric vehicle and artificial intelligence sectors.
US regulators grant California’s last nuclear power plant 20-year operating life extension
2 April: Federal regulators approved an operating license extension for California’s last-standing nuclear power plant, allowing it to run for another 20 years if it also gets state legislative approval, California Governor Gavin Newsom said. PG&E’s Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant on California’s central coast was scheduled to shut in 2025, but the plant that contributes about 10 percent of the state’s total electricity has remained online in the face of rising demand and swelling power bills. Owners of nuclear power plants across the US (United States) have applied to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to extend the life of their reactors, mostly built in the 1970s and '80s, as electricity use reaches record highs from the proliferation of energy-intensive data centers and the electrification of buildings and transportation.
France’s TotalEnergies, Abu Dhabi’s Masdar form US$2.2 bn renewables JV
2 April: France’s TotalEnergies and Emirati new energies firm Masdar will merge their onshore renewable activities in nine Asian countries into a US$2.2 billion joint venture (JV), the companies and Masdar shareholder TAQA said. The companies will contribute to a total portfolio of 3 gigawatt (GW) of operational capacity, with 6 GW under advanced development, and will own 50 percent of the Abu Dhabi-headquartered venture each. After the deal is closed, the JV will develop, build, own and operate solar, wind and battery storage projects.
Coal India to invest INR33 bn in 8 new coking coal washeries in Jharkhand
27 March: Coal India Ltd (CIL) has decided to set up eight new coking coal washeries in Jharkhand at an estimated investment of INR33 billion. Expected to be operational by the end of 2029-30, these washeries will have a cumulative capacity of 21.5 million tonnes (MT) per year. Of the proposed washeries, five will be set up by Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL), having a combined annual capacity of 14.5 MT, and three by Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL), with a total capacity of 7 MT per year, CIL said. CCL and BCCL are the two Jharkhand-based subsidiaries of CIL. The new coking coal washeries are in addition to the 10 that CIL already operates, having an annual cumulative capacity of 18.35 MT. Coal washing or beneficiation is a process of mechanical separation of impurities, primarily ash content from the coal, in order to improve its calorific value and make it more suitable for industry use. This calibrated expansion of washing capacity and modernisation will improve domestic coking coal quality and reduce import dependence in the coming years, CIL said. Coking coal is a vital ingredient for steel manufacturing. Though India is well endowed with coal reserves, domestic coking coal resources are scarce. Beside, the ash content ranges from 25 percent to 45 percent, much higher than other countries globally, making India dependent on imports of coking coal. CIL is leveraging washing capacity and technical expertise from Tata Steel to enhance the supply of quality coking coal to the domestic steel sector.
Power ministry directs imported coal based plant to run at full capacity from 1 April
25 March: The power ministry is believed to have directed imported coal-based thermal plants to operate at full capacity for three months from 1 April, to avoid any electricity shortage amid the estimated peak demand of 270 gigawatt (GW) during this summer. In letters sent to imported coal-based plants in the country, the power ministry invoked Section 11 of the Electricity Act, asking them to run at full capacity. The step has been taken to ensure optimal power availability, considering the prevailing demand-supply scenario and the expected rise in electricity demand in the coming months, according to the letter.
India delays coal flexibility plan as solar power curbs rise
25 March: India has pushed back by a year its plan for coal-fired power plants to lower output when solar generation is high, as regulators work out how to compensate for the higher costs of retrofitting entailed. Analysts said lack of flexible generation of coal power as India expands renewable capacity threatens to waste green investments, swell compensation costs and boost emissions from greater coal use that could otherwise have been avoided. The move comes at a time when the world’s second largest user of coal is curbing solar output for lack of dedicated transmission lines, while coal-fired capacity wrestles with operational constraints. Retrofitting coal plants would swell tariffs by as little as INR0.28 to INR0.60 per kilowatt hour, versus INR5.76 to INR6.04 for battery storage, making flexible coal at least 10 times cheaper, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) said.
UP cabinet approves INR22 bn for Pashwara south coal block in Jharkhand
24 March: The Uttar Pradesh (UP) cabinet approved INR22.42 billion for the development of the Pashwara South coal block in Jharkhand, allocated to Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Ltd (NUPPL) to meet the fuel requirements of the Ghatampur thermal power project in Kanpur. The coal block, located in Dumka district of Jharkhand, was allocated by the government of India in 2016. Mining operations at the coal block commenced on 19 December 2025, and coal extraction is targeted to start from August 2026.
India weighs rule to maximise output at imported-coal plants
19 March: India is weighing the use of an emergency clause that would force coal power plants that run on imported coal to maximise output ahead of the summer season, as the US (United States)-Israeli war on Iran has hit gas supplies. The country expects peak power demand to touch 270 gigawatt (GW) during the summer, India’s Federal Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said. India has power plants built to run on imported coal that could generate nearly 17 GW, located in the coastal areas of the country. It is expensive to generate power using imported coal compared with cheaper domestic coal. Under the emergency provision, a government‑appointed panel will set the rate at which power will be purchased from the plants, based on the cost of the imported coal. Tata Power’s 4 GW imported coal-fired plant in Mundra, Gujarat, has not operated for the past six months after the government last year withdrew the emergency clause that compensates companies for generating power using expensive imported coal. The gas crisis and the absence of 4 GW of coal capacity from Tata Power's coal plant have led the government to explore the option to run all coal plants including the imported coal plants at maximum capacity.
Odisha coal ban deepens LPG crisis for food businesses, vendors seek help
18 March: Odisha’s ban on coal and briquettes in urban areas to mitigate heatwave conditions has compounded the crisis for food businesses already struggling with a severe shortage of commercial LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders caused by US (United States)-Iran tensions affecting tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. While hotels and restaurants across the country are shifting to coal and other alternatives to tide over the LPG crisis, the Odisha government’s decision to prohibit coal use during the summer has hurt roadside eateries, small hotels, restaurants and catering services. The Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UD) issued guidelines asking urban local bodies to temporarily prohibit coal and briquette use, stating that fly ash from such fuels contributes to dust pollution and rising temperatures.
Centre holds stakeholders' consultation to increase domestic coal production
17 March: The Centre said that a high-level stakeholder consultation on increasing the domestic coal output was held amid escalating tensions in West Asia threatening global energy supplies. Senior government officials and major coal sector players deliberated on strategies to ramp up domestic coal production, speed up mine development and operations, bolstering India's energy security. Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy stressed that India must go beyond incremental reforms to achieve the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
India crosses 200 MT coal production in FY 2025 26
13 March: India’s coal sector has reached a historic milestone, crossing 200 million tonnes (MT) of coal production from Captive, Commercial, and Other mines on 11 March 2026 during FY 2025–26. This achievement highlights the persistent efforts of Central and State Public Sector Undertakings as well as private sector operators, whose dedication and resilience have been crucial in boosting national coal output. Out of the total, Captive and Commercial Mines contributed 194.17 MT, while Other Mines added 6.06 MT, pushing overall production past the 200 MT mark. Impressively, coal output for FY 2025–26 surpassed FY 2024–25’s total of 197.32 MT on 7 March 2026, achieving the milestone 24 days earlier than last year, reflecting strong year-on-year growth of 10.56 percent. Coal dispatch has also shown a steady rise, recording 197.09 MT, up from 182.98 MT last year, marking a 7.71 percent year-on-year growth. This steady increase demonstrates the sector’s enhanced ability to meet India’s energy demands while ensuring consistent coal supply to critical industries. The coal ministry continues to focus on strengthening captive and commercial coal mining as a pillar of India’s energy ecosystem.
Government fully geared to meet coal demand surge amid West Asia crisis
11 March: Amid escalating tensions in West Asia threatening global energy supplies, the government said it is fully prepared to meet any unprecedented surge in coal demand, with overall coal stocks at about 210 million tonnes (MT) -- adequate for around 88 days. This year, coal production and supply have outpaced consumption, leading to record-high stocks at thermal power plants and coal mines. Supplies to the non-regulated sector are up nearly 14 percent over the previous year. Pithead coal stocks at mines of Coal India Ltd (CIL) stood at 106.78 million tonne (MT) on 1 April 2025, rising to 121.39 MT as of 9 March this year. Further, there is around 6.07 MT of coal at the mines of Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL), another 15.12 MT at captive, commercial mines, and about 14 MT in transit, totalling 156.58 MT, the highest ever. This stock is in addition to the coal which is already available at power plants, which is around 54.05 MT as on 9 March 2026, adequate for nearly 24 days at the present rate of consumption. The coal production in the country continues at the same pace, building stocks at the mine end, for maintaining adequate supply to the consumers as per their requirements, with the support of railways. The coal ministry remains focused on creating a stable and performance-driven environment through continued policy facilitation, close performance monitoring, and coordinated engagement with stakeholders, with an aim to ensure reliable coal availability, support uninterrupted operations across key sectors, and meet the country's growing energy needs.
Domestic coal production likely to grow 6-7 percent annually over next few years: Union Minister for Coal and Mines
9 March: Domestic coal production is expected to grow 6-7 percent annually in the next few years to reach about 1.5 billion tonnes by 2029-30. The country’s coal demand is expected to continue rising and is expected to peak around 2040, Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy said.
SWR freight surge puts focus on Mormugao coal handling
3 March: South Western Railway (SWR)’s robust freight performance in the current fiscal year — with Goa’s iron ore, steel and coal emerging as key contributors — brought renewed attention to the ongoing controversy over coal handling at Mormugao Port Authority (MPA), even as state government has maintained that operations at the port remain within permissible limits. In terms of freight loading, SWR handled 47.5 million tonnes (MT) of originating freight during the April-February period, up sharply from 40.6 MT in the previous year, a growth of 17 percent. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, however, maintained that coal is handled at MPA by three companies — Southwest Port Limited, Adani Mormugao Port and Morning Dolphine — all of which possess valid environment clearances.
Commercial, captive coal production at 20.49 MT in February
2 March: Captive and commercial coal mines recorded coal production of 20.49 million tonnes (MT) in February, while dispatches reached 17.72 MT. For the financial year 2025–26 up to February, cumulative coal production from these mines registered a growth of 11.58 percent year-on-year to 187.16 MT, the coal ministry said. While cumulative dispatches till February recorded a 6.78 percent increase to 184.47 million, over the corresponding period of the previous year.
Coal India provides assurance to meet summer power demand
27 February: Coal India Ltd (CIL) allays domestic coal deficiency situation even as the power demand began picking up since January, signalling that coal demand could go up in the ensuing months. The three layer buffer across the supply chain - coal inventory at CIL’s pitheads, coal stocks at thermal power plants, and ready to extract in-situ coal exposure in CIL's mines- assures comfortable coal availability as the summer is beginning. CIL’s producing subsidiaries are holding sizeable pithead coal stock to the tune of 115 million tonnes (MT) as of 26 February 2026, which will further go up by the fiscal’s closure.
GMDC inks MoU with NTPC to explore coal, lignite gasification opportunities
27 February: Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) said that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NTPC to jointly explore opportunities in coal and lignite gasification and downstream utilisation. The MoU sets out a collaborative framework to assess the feasibility of gasifying coal from GMDCs coal blocks in Odisha and lignite from its mining operations in Gujarat. As part of the agreement, GMDC will undertake pilot initiatives, including surface and underground coal and lignite gasification, to evaluate technical feasibility, operational parameters and scalability.
India seeks to cut power sector coal imports by 30 percent this year
27 February: India, the world's second-largest importer of thermal coal, wants to cut those imports for power plants by at least 30 percent, asking them to test increased blending with domestic coal. India’s power plants used nearly 50 million tonnes (MT) of imported coal in 2025 from countries like Indonesia, South Africa and Russia. The government aims to cut this by at least 15 MT this year. New Delhi wants to reduce reliance on imports for the country’s nearly 17 gigawatt (GW) of power plants built to run on imported coal as government-backed Coal India Ltd (CIL) and private miners have boosted domestic coal production. Authorities aim to replace at least 20 percent of imported coal with domestic supply at most plants, with some able to go up to 30 percent. The government has long sought to cut coal imports for the power sector, but those efforts have failed as power plants have been unable to burn lower-quality local coal. CIL has been struggling with inventories of around 90 MT as of 31 December, after producing a record 781.1 MT in the fiscal year to March 2025. That made up nearly 80 percent of India’s total coal output last fiscal year.
Coal India’s Gevra block in Chhattisgarh to become the world’s top mine by next year
22 February: Coal India Ltd’s Gevra mine will become the world’s top coal-producing mine next year by achieving the output of 63 million tonnes (MT), surpassing the US (United States) mines. Gevra mine, operated by South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL), a subsidiary of Coal India, is India’s largest opencast coal mine. Operational since 1981, the Gevra mine will produce 56 MT this year. The mine has already received the environmental clearance to expand capacity to 70 MT per annum.
Over 17k metric tonnes of illegally mined coal seized in East Jaintia Hills, 22 held
22 February: Twelve trucks laden with coal were detained by the East Jaintia Hills district police in their continued crackdown on illegal mining and transport of coal. The ongoing drive has so far led to the arrest of 22 people, registration of 94 FIRs, and the seizure of 17,322 metric tonnes of coal and 25.5 kg of explosives. Police action against illegal coal mining has been ongoing following the devastating dynamite blast in an illegal coal mine in the Mynsngat-Thangsko area in East Jaintia Hills on Feb 5, killing over 34 mine workers.
NGT issues notices over coal transport pollution in Odisha’s Talcher
21 February: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to multiple authorities over alleged environmental pollution linked to coal transportation in Odisha’s Talcher area, seeking their replies within six weeks. According to the petition, complaints dated 30 May, 9 August and 1 September 2025, were submitted by the petitioner, members of the Mahanadi Koyla Thika Shramik Congress and local villagers to the area railway manager of East Coast Railway at Talcher station. The complaints alleged that coal was being transported in railway wagons without tarpaulin covers, resulting in severe air pollution. The petitioner has sought directions to stop coal loading and transportation without tarpaulin cover, assess environmental compensation and fix responsibility on officials for alleged lapses in enforcing environmental norms.
Meghalaya forms SIT to probe coal mine blast
13 February: Meghalaya Police has constituted an SIT to probe the dynamite explosion in an illegal coal mine that claimed 31 lives in East Jaintia Hills district on 5 February. The mishap occurred in the Mynsngat-Thangsko area, prompting immediate action from the state police. Chief Minister (CM) Conrad K Sangma had earlier announced the formation of a judicial inquiry commission to investigate one of the deadliest coal mine accidents in the state. Meanwhile, on 9 February, the Meghalaya high court directed the government to submit a detailed report within ten days on illegal coal mining and to arrest those responsible for the blast.
Nationwide strike against labour codes disrupts coal operations in Dhanbad
12 February: Coal production at the mines of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) and Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) were adversely affected as workers joined the nationwide strike to protest the new labour codes being brought in by the Centre. Besides coal mining, various other industries were also affected. Industry insiders said strike led to a dip in 40 percent in average daily production of the companies. Workers abstained from duties at several key BCCL sites, including the Vishwakarma Loading Point at Dhanasar, Block-2 area, Hajiri Ghars, and Shatabdi Colliery. Dharna and demonstrations were held outside attendance centres, halting production and coal dispatch activities. Coal transportation was severely affected, disrupting supply chains and causing financial setbacks to the companies. BSSR union president Sandeep Aich said the strike was not limited to the coal sector but saw participation from employees in banking, healthcare, anganwadi, and insurance sectors.
Italy to postpone shutdown of coal-powered plants by 13 years
31 March: Italy is set to postpone to 2038, 13 years later than originally planned, the permanent shutdown of its coal-fired power plants. Italy has four coal-powered plants currently on stand-by, three of which are owned by the country’s largest utility Enel. Under its 2024 energy and climate plan (PNIEC), Italy was due to abandon coal for good by the end of 2025. In 2024, while holding the G7 presidency, Italy chaired a meeting in which members of the Group of Seven major democracies agreed to end the use of coal in power generation by 2035.
Japan to relax rules from April to boost coal-fired power amid LNG import risks
27 March: Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will relax rules for one year to increase the use of coal-fired power plants in the fiscal year starting April, as the US (United States)-Israel war with Iran adds uncertainty to liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, it said. The METI proposed suspending for one year its 50 percent cap on the capacity utilisation rate of coal-fired power plants with generation efficiency below 42 percent. Its thermal power generation largely depends on LNG and coal, with a small portion covered by oil, with electricity also being generated from nuclear power and renewable energy.
South Africa’s Thungela posts full-year loss on weaker coal prices
23 March: South African coal miner Thungela Resources reported a full-year loss, hit by a decline in prices. The thermal coal exporter reported a headline loss per share of 6.47 rand (US$0.3752) in the year ended 31 December, from headline earnings per share of 25.59 rand the previous year. Thungela’s revenue fell 17 percent to 29.6 billion rand in 2025, dragged down by lower benchmark coal prices and a stronger South African rand exchange rate against the US dollar. The international thermal coal market was depressed throughout 2025, mainly due to weak demand in China and India, key coal-consuming countries. The two Asian countries have expanded domestic coal production while advancing alternative energy sources, Thungela said. The company’s average realised export price for its South African coal was 20 percent lower compared with the previous year, while prices for its Australian output were down 17 percent.
JSW Steel announces coking coal mining project in Mozambique
14 March: JSW Steel announced the Minas de Revuboe (MdR) coking coal mining project in Mozambique, marking a step in the company’s strategy to secure long-term raw material supplies for its steel operations. The project is located in the Moatize coal basin in Tete Province and provides access to around 850 million tonnes (MT) of coal reserves, with the potential to yield about 250 MT of usable premium hard coking coal, a key input in steelmaking. JSW Steel said the mine will be developed in phases, with the first phase expected to be completed over the next 2.5 years and designed to produce about 2.4 MT per annum of prime hard coking coal. The company said the project is part of its backward integration strategy aimed at reducing exposure to volatility in global coking coal prices and strengthening supply security as it expands steelmaking capacity.
Quality is key as some coal rallies amid LNG’s spike on Iran war
10 March: The surge in the spot price of liquefied natural gas (LNG) has dragged seaborne thermal coal prices higher, but only for the higher quality grades that can substitute for natural gas in power generation. The surge in LNG prices has opened the window for gas-to-coal switching in Japan and South Korea, the two Asian countries with the biggest ability to arbitrage between the fuels used to generate electricity. Japan and South Korea predominantly buy Australian thermal coal with an energy content of 6,000 kilocalories per kilogram (kcal/kg), and the index of this fuel at Newcastle Port, as assessed by commodity price reporting agency Argus, rose to US$129.62 a metric tonne in the week to 6 March. The price of thermal coal heading to Europe, the other region where gas-to-coal switching can happen, also increased, with McCloskey assessing 6,000 kcal/kg coal from South Africa’s Richards Bay port at US$113.00 a tonne, up 14.3 percent from US$98.90 on 27 February. Japan retired almost 1,200 megawatt (MW) of coal-fired capacity in the past three years, without adding any new units. While South Korea has boosted its coal-fired capacity in recent years the government has formally committed to a long-term phase-out of the fuel, planning to close 40 of 61 units by 2040.
It could reactivate coal-powered plants if Gulf crisis worsens: Italy’s Energy Minister
4 March: Italy’s Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said he could restart some coal-fired power stations if the conflict in the Middle East were to provoke an energy crisis, adding that the country was for the moment "quite safe". Israeli and US (United States) forces struck targets across Iran, prompting Iranian strikes against energy infrastructure in other Gulf states considered US allies, in a region that accounts for just under a third of global oil production.
Indonesia coal plant closure U-turn sows energy transition doubts
17 February: Indonesian villager Supriyanto is visibly frustrated as he discusses the sprawling coal power plant emitting white plumes of smoke over his small fishing community. The Cirebon-1 plant was supposed to be in its final years, with its closure set for early 2035, as part of Indonesia's plans to wean itself from polluting coal with international support.
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