Coal news and updates

MoEF nod for expansion of MCL’s Lakhanpur OCP

June 2: The Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) recently gave environmental clearance (EC) to Mahanadi Coalfield Ltd (MCL) for expanding mining capacity at the latter’s Lakhanpur open cast project (OCP) in the Jharsuguda district of Odisha.

The approval, which has come with certain normal conditions, allows MCL to expand the capacity of Lakhanpur to a peak rated capacity of 18.75 million tons per annum (mtpa) from the existing 15 mtpa, MoEF said on its website.

The company had sought approval from MoEF to expand the capacity of the mine to 20 mtpa from its existing leasehold area in Lakhanpur project.

The total geological reserves in the project amount to 422 million tons (mt). The mineable reserves are 358.58 mt as on April 1, 2006 and 269.35 mt as on April 1, 2013. Extractable reserves are 269.35 mt as on April 1, 2013. The percent of extraction would be 90%.