Coal news and updates

Tata Steel gets Green nod for Jharkhand mining, washery expansion

March 6: Tata Steel Limited, on March 3, received the environmental clearance for capacity expansion of both 6 & 7 Pits colliery and Jamadoba coal washery from the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF).

With this, the capacity of 6 & 7 Pits colliery, that sends its raw coal to Jamadoba coal washery to produce clean coal, will be 0.60 million tons per annum (mtpa) from the current capacity of 0.28 mtpa while the capacity of the washery will increased 100% to 2 mtpa from the current capacity of 1 mtpa.

Raw coal (30-32%) is supplied to the washery to produce clean coal with 15-18% ash as per customers' requirements and rejects with 48 -50% ash and tailings with 38-42% ash.

This is a part of the capacity expansion of Tata Steel's captive mines to meet coal demand at its Jamshedpur plant.

A letter addressed to the Jharia division of Tata Steel Limited said, "The demand for steel-grade coal after expansion of the integrated steel plant at Jamshedpur (from 6.8 mtpa to 10 mtpa) has been estimated to be at 7.30 mtpa. Therefore, it is imperative to expand capacity of the mines to enhance coal despatches to the Tata Steel plant to meet the increased demand."

According to the letter, clean coal is sent to Jamshedpur works. The rejects are consumed in the power plant and the tailings are disposed of to end-users such as institutionalised customers, including power plants, cement and brick kiln manufacturers.