Power plants near mines will lift coal through road: Coal Ministry

25 September 2017

The coal ministry today said power plants located within a 60 km range of mine pit heads shall augment their coal supplies by lifting the fuel through road.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Coal Secretary Susheel Kumar yesterday to review coal supply to various power plants.

Railway rakes which get freed up due to this exercise will be diverted to the other power plants of the state or central power generation companies (Gencos), an official statement said.

“It was projected that about 30-35 rakes of additional coal shall be supplied to the distant power plants of the State/Central Gencos,” it said.

CMD Coal India Limited (CIL) Gopal Singh said that coal supply to the power plants was expected to increase as a result of this exercise and it was decided to further review the situation after a few days.

During the meeting, CMD CIL said that in the month of September 2017, coal supply to the power plants has been 20 per cent more as compared to the same month last year.

Principal Secretaries of the energy departments of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, CMD of state Gencos of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and CMD of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) participated in the meeting through video conferencing.

Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL) agreed to lift about 20,000 tonnes per day (equivalent to 4 rakes) from the pit head mines of Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL) for its Annapara power plant.

CIL agreed to supply additional four rakes of coal to the Paricha and Harduaganj power plants of UPRVUNL.

CIL also said it has stepped up supplies to the power sector and the coal supplies shall be further increased in the coming few days.

Source-ET