Coal news and updates

WBMDTC eyes peak output at Trans Damodar in FY15

August 18: West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation (WBMDTC), the first state agency to start production from captive coal blocks, expects to reach peak production of 1 million tons (mt) at its Trans Damodar Coal Mining Project at Barjore in West Bengal in 2014-15.

“We achieved total production of 0.725 mt in 2013-14. This year, we expect to produce 1 mt, although we are targeting 1.25 mt to make up for the shortfall last year,” a senior official from WBMDTC told ICMW.

The project, which was inaugurated by state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on April 13, 2012, holds around 103.15 mt of reserves. It is the first and only mine block out of the six allocated to the agency to start operation.

“Our peak capacity is 1 mt,” the official said, adding that production since inception (till July 2014) is 1.34 mt.