Coal news and updates

Prism Cement starts coal production at captive mine

March 7: Maharashtra-based Prism Cement Limited, on March 7, said it has started production of coal from its Sial-Ghoghri captive block in the Wardha coalfields in the Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh.

Sial-Ghoghri has thus become the 40th block which has reached production stage and the fourth block that has come to production in 2013-14 after Gangaramchak and Gangaramchak Bhadulia and Amelia North of West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd and Madhya Pradesh State Mineral Corporation Ltd respectively.

An official from Prism Cement told ICMW that it had been earlier granted statutory clearances to operate the coal mine. The block has geological reserves of 30.38 million tons (mt) and its peak rated capacity is likely to be 0.30 million tons per annum (mtpa).

The coal block was allocated to the company on May 25, 2007.

The mined coal will be used for captive consumption at the company's cement plant located at Satna, Madhya Pradesh, with a capacity of 2 mtpa, the official added.

Meanwhile, an official from the Coal Controller's Organisation (CCO), a wing of the Ministry of Coal, told ICMW that the CCO has not yet received communication from Prism Cement regarding commencement of production from the Sial-Ghoghri block.