India drives surge in global planned coal production

India is driving a significant increase in global planned coal production capacity. According to a report by the NGO Global Energy Monitor, new coal mining proposals in 2025 are set to increase global supplies by 2.5 billion tonnes per year, an 11% rise from the previous year.

While China remains the largest contributor to the global pipeline with 1,321 Mtpa of proposed capacity, India recorded the sharpest growth. India’s proposed capacity nearly doubled from 329 Mtpa in 2024 to 638 Mtpa in 2025. This surge is primarily driven by the states of Jharkhand and Odisha, following an ambitious target from India’s Ministry of Coal to reach 1.15 billion tonnes of production in the 2025-26 fiscal year to support economic growth and manage heatwaves.

This expansion occurs even as the International Energy Agency predicts a plateau in global coal demand through 2030. While new mine openings have slowed in China and Australia, the concentration of proposed capacity remains high among five nations: China, India, Australia, Russia, and South Africa, which together account for 92% of the global pipeline.