Chhattisgarh's Coal Giants: Gevra and Kusmunda Among World's Largest Coal Mines

Gevra and Kusmunda blocks of South Eastern Coalfields Ltd have secured second and fourth spots in the list of the world's largest coal mines by production volume. Located in Chhattisgarh, they contribute significantly to India's coal output, producing over 100 million tonnes annually.

Gevra and Kusmunda blocks of state-owned South Eastern Coalfields have secured second and fourth spots, respectively, in the list of the world's 10 largest coal mines in terms of production volume released by WorldAtlas.com.

Located in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh, the two mines produce more than 100 million tonnes (MT) of coal annually, accounting for about 10 percent of India's total coal production, South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) said in a statement on Thursday.

''Gevra and Kusmunda coal mines have secured the 2nd and 4th spot in the list of the world's 10 largest coal mines released by WorldAtlas.com,'' the statement read.

Gevra mine has an annual production capacity of 70 MT. The mine produced 59 MT of coal in FY24, while Kusmunda produced over 50 MT of coal. Both are open-cast mine projects, the state-owned firm confirmed.

SECL Chairman and Managing Director Prem Sagar Mishra said, ''It is a proud moment that two of the world's five largest coal mines are in Chhattisgarh.'' According to the list, Black Thunder Mine and North Antelope Rochelle Mine in the US bagged the first and third spots, respectively, with an estimated production of 62.68 MT of coal and 56.25 MT of coal in 2023.

Northern Shaanxi Mine in China secured the fifth spot with a coal production of 41.34 MT last year.

Based in Bilaspur, SECL with 59 blocks is among the top three coal-producing subsidiaries of Coal India Ltd (CIL), under the Ministry of Coal. In FY24, CIL's output was 773 MT, with SECL contributing an output of 187 MT.

(With inputs from agencies.)