India Doubles Planned Coal Mining Capacity

According to a report by Global Energy Monitor, India nearly doubled its proposed coal mining capacity in 2025, rising to 638 million metric tons per annum (mtpa) from 329 mtpa a year earlier. This increase accounted for almost all of the growth in the global coal project pipeline, which expanded 11% to 2,521 mtpa. The move reflects New Delhi's efforts to boost domestic coal production to meet rising power demand, even as renewable energy capacity expands rapidly. Most of India's proposed new capacity is concentrated in the eastern states of India — Jharkhand and India — Odisha, as the government targets coal production of nearly 1.15 billion metric tons in fiscal 2025/26 and 1.5 billion tons by 2030. The increase comes despite International Energy Agency forecasts that global coal demand will plateau by 2030, and wind and solar overtook coal in the global electricity mix for the first time in 2025. The report warns that rapid growth in planned mining capacity could leave producers exposed if coal demand weakens faster than expected. While coal mine proposals increased, new capacity additions fell nearly 40% in 2025 to 113 mtpa, driven by declines in China and Australia.