Coal news and updates

Coal from arms has average ash below 34%: CIL

May 12: Notwithstanding the delay in setting up new coal washeries, Coal India Ltd (CIL) claims that average ash content of non-coking coal supplied by its subsidiaries is already below the level of 34% stipulated by the environment ministry.

“Ash percentage on overall supply is 32.86% which is well within the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) limit of 34%,” a top official said.

However, the problem is to meet the stipulation on the basis of individual subsidiaries, particularly Mahanadi Coalfields (MCL), where nearly the entire production is Grade 11- 13 (having higher ash content), he said.

As a result, the link plants located beyond 500/750 km from the pithead should take higher grade of coal from other subsidiaries for blending in order to comply with the MoEF stipulation, he said.

The MoEF has made it mandatory that coal with ash content below 34% must be supplied to plants located beyond 750 km. This distance would be brought down to 500 km with effect from June 2016.