Coking Coal: Essential Raw Material for Steelmaking

Category: Geography / Economy / Mineral Resources

  • Coking coal is coal that can produce coke when heated in the absence of air.
  • Coke is an essential input in the blast-furnace route of iron and steel production.
  • It has properties such as appropriate coking ability, volatile matter and ash characteristics.
  • India has significant coal resources but depends partly on imports of high-quality coking coal.
  • Increasing domestic availability of coking coal is important for reducing dependence on imports.

Key Pointer: Coking coal → Coke → Blast furnace → Iron & steel industry