Coal news and updates

Goa’s bid for coal block ‘blocked’ yet again

GIDC will now have to import coal to run its PPP plant, with the government having to pay higher amounts and buy increased quantities of power from the open market after negotiating with the central government for supplies or look to some alternative sources.
“We will now have to discuss this with everybody, including the chief minister, and then take a decision,” GIDC chairman, MLA Ganesh Gaokar, told Herald confirming that the state proposal had been rejected.
The new application was made after the Supreme Court had cancelled all the allocations.
“Initially we could not apply. But then the government came up with an ordinance and allowed us to apply. But our proposal was rejected,” Mandar Shirodkar, GIDC GM admin and law said. “We had applied for our own block as well as for some others close to the one originally allocated,” he added.
Sources indicate that the blocks are given to a Chattisgarh power entity and that the future is subject to the government decision. They also indicate that there could have been some criteria that the government was not informed about and so could not comply with. This is a major setback for the proposed investment plans.
As per the Electric Power Survey (EPS) conducted by Central Electrical Authority (CEA), the state’s electricity requirements will reach a humungous 1100 MW by 2020-21. In addition the government has to cater to industrial demand given that in its investment policy it had announced that it is planning for investment of Rs 25,000 crore and 50,000 jobs in ten years. At that time it was banking on the Gare Pelma Sector III coal block in Chattisgarh allotted to GIDC on November 12, 2008. However, the apex court declared that all coal blocks allotted between 1993 and 2008 were illegal and the allocation has been cancelled.
The State currently receives 425MW from the Central Sector allocation with Power Minister Milind Naik admitting the requirement as of now at its peak is 540MW. The government purchases power during the evening peak hours to meet the growing demand.

source: http://www.heraldgoa.in