About BCCL
About Us Page
Who We Are
Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), a Public Sector Undertaking under Coal India Limited (CIL), stands as one of the most essential contributors to India’s industrial and energy infrastructure. Established with a mandate to mine and supply high-grade coking coal, BCCL plays a pivotal role in fuelling the nation’s steel sector, which relies heavily on our coal for production and manufacturing processes.
In the early 1970s, India faced significant challenges in its coal industry. The sector was dominated by small private companies, leading to unregulated mining practices, labour issues, and environmental degradation. The fragmented nature of ownership created inefficiencies in production, resource management, and safety, and the nation’s reliance on private players threatened energy security.
Recognizing these challenges, the Government of India took a bold step in 1971 and 1973, enacting legislation to nationalize the coal industry. The Coking Coal Mines (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1971, followed by the Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1973, brought all coking and non-coking coal mines under government control. This landmark decision led to the creation of Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries, including Bharat Coking Coal Limited. BCCL was tasked with managing the Jharia and Raniganj coalfields, which are rich in high-grade coking coal critical for steel
production.
The Key highlights of BCCL are:
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Foundation: 1st January 1972
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Miniratna Status: Awarded on 8th October 2014
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Working Mines: 32 Operational Mines (4 Underground, 26 Opencast and 2 Mixed)
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Major Projects: Coking Coal
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Coking Coal Reserve: 7.9 Billion tonnes (Appox.) [Includes Inferred, Indicated and Proven)
Our Mission
To produce and market the planned quantity of coal and coal products efficiently and economically, in an eco-friendly manner with due regard to safety, conservation, and quality.
Our Vision
To emerge as a global player in the primary energy sector committed to provide energy security to the country by attaining environmentally & socially sustainable growth through best practices from mine to market.
Our Team
Led by industry veterans with extensive experience in large-scale mining, BCCL’s leadership is dedicated to steering the organization towards growth, modernization, and value creation. Our team brings years of expertise in project management, strategic planning, and implementation of cutting-edge technologies, driving BCCL towards achieving the Coal Ministry’s vision of reaching 100 million tons of coking coal by 2030.
Achievements and Milestones:
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Record production: Achieved highest ever coal production of 41.1 million tons in FY 2023-24.
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First Dividend: For the first time in its history, BCCL has wiped out accumulated losses and declared a dividend of ₹44.43 Crore for FY 2023-24.
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Sustainability Milestone: Successfully completed biological reclamation across 1631.53 hectares of land, planting over 34 lakh trees.
Historical Challenges with BCCL
Currently, over 95% of BCCL’s coal production is concentrated in the Jharia Coalfield (JCF), a region that continuously burns unlike any other coalfield worldwide. The unmatched scale and intensity of Jharia’s fires, driven by a combination of geological, historical, and human factors, are among the most intense and persistent in the world, fuelled by the very nature of the coal deposits and past mining practices. Jharia’s fiery predicament is the result of a confluence of unique geological traits and human intervention.
The mass scale operation in the Jharia coalfield is never practical due to population density. All the efforts which have been done so far and are being done are under execution in pockets only. This provides relief and successfully able to extinguish fire but only in pockets.
Our Operations
Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) manages an extensive network of open-cast and underground mines across Jharkhand and West Bengal, with a particular focus on the Jharia Coalfield. By using advanced mining practices and technologies, BCCL not only maximizes production but also works to contain and mitigate Jharia fires, protecting surrounding communities and the environment. Our operations span various strategic projects, each contributing to BCCL’s mission to meet India’s coking coal mission while addressing critical fire control measures.
Opencast and Underground Mining Projects
BCCL’s mining projects are central to its strategy for efficient coal extraction and fire control:
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Opencast Mining for Fire Control: Opencast mining plays a vital role in controlling coal fires, as it enables BCCL to directly extract and isolate burning coal seams. By removing affected coal and implementing controlled excavation, BCCL reduces the fuel source that sustains the fires. Advanced equipment such as highcapacity excavators and shovels allows for rapid removal of burning or vulnerable coal, reducing the intensity and spread of fires.
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Underground Fire Containment: Underground mining at Jharia presents unique challenges due to the risk of spontaneous combustion and high gassiness of coal seams. BCCL employs advanced ventilation systems, and controlled sealing techniques to limit oxygen exposure and manage methane levels in gassy seams. By controlling airflow and isolating abandoned, fire-prone sections, BCCL reduces the spread of underground fires and enhances safety of the surrounding.
Coal Washeries
The quality of coking coal is crucial for the steel industry, and BCCL is committed to delivering coal that meets the highest standards:
Coal Beneficiation and Washing: BCCL operates several coal washeries to improve the quality of raw coal, enhancing its calorific value and reducing impurities. Through the washing process, impurities such as ash and sulfur are removed, resulting in a higher-grade coal suitable for metallurgical applications. Our washeries employ advanced beneficiation techniques, including dense media separation and froth flotation, to produce coking coal that meets the stringent requirements of steelmakers.
Optimizing Production for the Steel Industry: By upgrading raw coal in our washeries, BCCL ensures that our product is ideal for use in steel manufacturing, providing critical resources for infrastructure and industrial development. Quality assurance teams rigorously monitor every stage of the beneficiation process to guarantee a consistent supply of high-quality coal that meets industry specifications.
MDO Operations
To enhance operational efficiency, optimizing coal production and incorporate specialized expertise, BCCL partnerswith Mine Developer and Operators (MDOs):
Partnering with MDOs for Operational Excellence: BCCL collaborates with experienced MDOs to manage specific mining projects, bringing in additional expertise, advanced technology, and innovative practices. Working with MDOs allows BCCL to adopt global best practices and cutting-edge technologies, improving both productivity and sustainability. This partnership approach helps BCCL optimize project timelines, enhance production efficiency, and ensure cost-effective operations.
New Initiatives:
BCCL is actively pursuing innovative business initiatives to expand its capabilities, enhance sustainability, and addressthe evolving demands of the coal and energy sectors. These initiatives reflect BCCL’s commitment to delivering valuethrough diversification, technological advancement, and responsible resource management.
Diversification
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Solar Power Projects: BCCL is investing in solar energy projects on reclaimed mine lands and rooftops ofoperational facilities. By harnessing renewable energy, BCCL aims to reduce its carbon footprint, lower energycosts, and contribute to India’s ambitious renewable energy targets. Upto March 2024 BCCL has commissioned1.68 MW of rooftop Solar Energy Capacity and 45 MW ground mounted under installation. Further BCCL hasidentified locations for installation of another 45 MW ground mounted Solar Capacity.
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Coal Bed Methane: BCCL is exploring technologies for extraction of Coal Bed Methane to extract the methaneprior to mining which gets otherwise escaped. This initiative will provide an additional source of energy andraw material for chemicals for industrial applications. BCCL has commissioned a pilot project named JhariaCBM Block-I near Moonidih Mines.
