Coal news and updates

MCL setting up washeries to obey MoEFCC norms

In a bid to adhere to the new Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) guidelines of sending washed coal or coal with less than 34% ash to all the power plants, Coal India subsidiary Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) is setting up 4 washeries of 10 mtpa capacity each, ISMW understands.

It may be recalled, the MoEFCC mandated that all power plants at a distance of more than 500 km from the mines must get washed coal or coal with less than 34 percent ash.

However, most of the coal that MCL produces is of low grade with high ash content.

“These washeries are expected to be operational by 2017. Also, with the help of private washeries of approximately 32 mt capacity near Talcher and Ib Coalfields, we will provide washed coal to the power plants in future,” the company’s Chairman-cum-Managing Director A K Jha said.
 

In the second phase, MCL plans to establish washeries with overall capacity of 70 mtpa (20 mtpa at Lakhanpur, 10 mtpa at Garjanbahal and 40 mtpa at Siarmal). As stringent stipulations have been imposed, MCL will strive hard to supply washed coal to power-houses beyond 500 km, Jha said.
 

“We have also been pursuing regularly with power houses to get coal washed through private washeries located near the mines of MCL,” the MCL chief added.

Within the distance of 500 km, MCL has an annual contracted quantity (ACQ) of 45.75 mt, while ACQ for a distance beyond 500 km is 111.23 mt.