Coal news and updates

IWAI floats RFP for movement of NTPC’s coal through inland waterways

December 26: The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has floated a request for proposal (RFP) for movement of 3 million tons (mt) of imported coal per annum for a period of 10 years through inland waterways to NTPC’s Barh power plant in Bihar.

The last date for submission of queries is January 2, 2015, while pre-bid meeting at Barh would be held on January 12, 2015 and bid due date has been fixed at Janaury 23, 2015 at 1500 Hours.

NTPC is developing a super thermal power project (STPP) at Barh with a total capacity of 3300 MW. The first unit of the plant was commercialised in 2014-15, but the rest are under construction.

The company will need around 3 mt of imported coal per annum for the operation of the BARH STPP.

The STPP is situated near the bank of National Waterways 1 (Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system between Haldia (Sagar) and Allahabad (1620 kms) declared at NW 1 in October 1986.

At present NTPC imports coal on FOR destination basis through imported coal suppliers, but in future it may also procure imported coal either on Cost and Freight (CFR)/Free on Board (FOB) basis.

The operator, selected through the Bidding Process, would be responsible for unloading the coal from the Ocean Going Vessels and thereafter moving the coal on its own vessels capable of 24 hours and round the year operation, transporting the coal using NW1.

NTPC is already transporting coal using the same network for its Farakka power plant in West Bengal.