JSW Steel is evaluating proposals to buy coal mines in Australia, America and Africa to meet its long-term captive requirement and hedge against surging prices of the dry fuel.

It suffered a setback in Mozambique where its mining blocks were found to be unviable for steel making. The mines had an ash content of around 60 per cent. JSW Steel imports its entire coal requirement of 4.5 million tonne per annum (mtpa) to feed its 6.8 mtpa Bellary steel plant mainly from Australia.