Coal news and updates

NTPC’s 2013-14 coal imports at Rs 7,078 crore

August 18: NTPC Ltd imported steam coal worth Rs 7,078 crore in 2013-14, an official said.

“During the year 2013-14, 10.8 million tons of imported coal was procured by NTPC, which was about 7.23% of the domestic coal supply, the cost of which is about Rs 7,078 crore,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the monthly materialisation of coal supply from domestic sources to NTPC power plants had increased to 96% of the requirement in July 2014 as compared to 82% in June 2014, the official added.

NTPC had also imported 9.26 lakh ton of coal during July, 2014.

Asked about the delay in starting production from the company’s captive coal blocks, the official said the company could not start production from its Pakri-Barwadih, Chatti-Bariatu and Kerandari coal blocks, all located in Jharkhand, on time due to adverse law & order situation in the state, delay in land acquisition and lack of policy of the state government regarding squatters on forest land and government land for less than 30 years, the official added.

However, the official said that production from the Talaipalli coal block in Chhattisgarh has been delayed due to delay in the approval of the R&R plan, transfer of government land and approval of mining lease by the state government.

On the other hand there was virtually no progress on development of the Dulanga coal block in Odisha as it was earlier put in the ‘No-Go Area’ and then cleared from this category in August, 2011 which delayed further action.

Incidentally, all these blocks are due for coal supply from December, 2015 to June, 2016, but it appears that except Pakri-Barwadih, none could start production within the time frame, industry sources said.