New Delhi: India’s biggest power generator, NTPC Ltd, expects to start production from the captive coal mine block allotted to it at Pakhri Barwadih in Jharkhand by the year-end as it tries to achieve fuel security and reduce dependence on Coal India Ltd, or CIL, the company’s primary coal supplier.
“We will start coal production by the end of 2009 from Pakhri Barwadih block... I agree that the production is much delayed... There were land acquisition problems,” said a senior NTPC executive who did not want to be identified.
Dependability factor: NTPC’s Unchahar, Uttar Pradesh, plant. NTPC is trying to secure a stable fuel source.
Dependability factor: NTPC’s Unchahar, Uttar Pradesh, plant. NTPC is trying to secure a stable fuel source.
Coal is critical for NTPC as more than 80% of its installed capacity of 29,894MW is coal-based. However, a majority of its coal-based projects don’t have 15 days’ coal stock as mandated.
The company plans to add 22,430MW of capacity by 2012 and has an overall demand of 125 million tonnes per annum, or mtpa, of coal. Recently, it floated a global tender for 8mtpa of which only 5-6mtpa will be used this year. The rest of its coal requirements are to be met through supplies by CIL.
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