Coal news and updates

WBMDTC gets Green nod for two coal blocks

October 10: West Bengal Mineral Development & Trading Corp Ltd (WBMDTC) was granted environment clearance (EC) from the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) for two adjacent underground coal blocks -- Sitarampur and Kulti -- with a capacity of 1 million tons per annum (mtpa).

The ministry awarded clearances to the two coal blocks vide a letter issued to the management on September 25, 2014.

As per the communique, each mine would produce 1 million ton (mt) of S-I, S-II, W-I, W-II, W-III and W-IV grade of coking coal. In some places of these two blocks, non-coking coal would also be available, the statement said.

The total geological reserves in the Kulti coal block stand at 269.19 mt. The mineable reserves are at 225.25 mt and extractable reserves at 64.67 mt. At Sitarampur, the total geological reserves are 232.26 mt/ 209.04 mt. The minable reserves are 100.50 mt and extractable reserves at 67.35 mt.

Each project is likely to cost around Rs 1,440 crore.