Coal news and updates

Singareni plans to appoint MDO for Naini block

Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL), which was allotted the Naini coal block in Odisha last year, seeks to engage a mine-developer-cum-operator (MDO) to develop and operate the said block on a long-term basis.

According to information available with ICMW, SCCL recently sought expression of interest (EoI) from MDOs for developing and operating the block which has a proposed peak capacity of 10 million tons per annum (mtpa).

The scope of work will include land acquisition (including forest land), R&R, exploration, including geological report (GR) preparation, mining plan preparation and approval, preparation and approval of EIA/EMP, procurement of environmental and forest clearances, coal washery operation and overburden (OB) and coal removal, among others.

Earlier, state agencies like the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) and Geological Survey of India (GSI) had explored the western part of the block in detail, but the eastern part of the block was explored regionally. Naini had been allotted to SCCL by the Union government after the miner sought new blocks outside the Godavari Basin coalfield in Telengana.

As per the scheduled production quantity, the block is expected to start production in the fourth year of operation and reach peak output of 10 mtpa in the sixth year.