CIL to engage central mine institute to test coal quality
24 April 2013 3:23 AM GMT
Failing to reach a consensus on joint sampling, Coal India Ltd has decided to engage the newly formed national laboratory Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), Dhanbad, for neutral coal quality certification for supply to NTPC plants in the east.
'We have decided to seek help of CIMFR for an independent quality certification for coal supplies to NTPC plants after power company officials discontinued participation for joint sampling,' Niladri Roy, Eastern Coalfields general manager and technical secretary to chairman said.
'We hope that they will begin to offer their services soon,' he added.
This would be an interim arrangement till an agency was identified for third party sampling, Roy said.
For the first few days after supply was resumed on 4 April, joint sampling was carried out between CIL and NTPC officials, but the differences on quality failed to subside.
Coal India chairman S Narsing Rao had said that by September 2013 an international agency for third party sampling would be in place.
Both CIL and NTPC had agreed to third party sampling at a joint meeting held recently in Delhi.
NTPC had alleged that Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) supplied coal mixed with boulders, stones and even dirt. The resolution of the issue came in the course of a meeting by coal secretary Sanjay Kumar Srivastava with CIL Chairman S Narsing Rao and NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Arup Roy Choudhury.
The affected NTPC plants were Farraka and Kahelgaon and ECL had claimed that under-payment of coal had led to accumulated dues of close to Rs 1,000 crore.
ECL has said, had they continue supplying Ranigunj coal then the accretion of dues at the rate would have gone up to Rs 1,800 crore.
ECL had supplied 50 per cent of the contract quantity coal of Rajmahal in accordance with directions from the ministry.
The Coal India Ltd subsidiary had said it has to break fixed deposits to meet its expenses and for payment of salaries.
GOVT MULLING 10% COAL INDIA LTD DIVESTMENT
Union Government on Tuesday said it is considering a proposal to divest 10 per cent of its stake in Coal India Ltd (CIL).
‘Proposal for divestment of 10 per cent out of 90 per cent government shareholding in Coal India Ltd is under consideration of the government,’ Minister of State for Coal Pratikprakash Bapu said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
The minister added that the proposal is under consideration ‘in consultation with the various stakeholders.’
‘4 HYDRO-POWER PROJECTS WAIT FOR GREEN NOD’
Four hydro power projects, having a total generation capacity of 1,472 MW, are awaiting environmental clearances, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.
These projects are in Karnataka, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
'Four hydro electric projects, which have been accorded concurrence by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), are pending for clearance in the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) as on date,' Minister of State for Power Jyotiraditya Scindia said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
They include 500 MW Hirong project in Arunachal Pradesh and 520 MW Teesta Stage IV plant in Sikkim.
According to the minister, MoEF has given environment clearance to two hydro projects having a total capacity of 994 MW in the last six months.
'We have decided to seek help of CIMFR for an independent quality certification for coal supplies to NTPC plants after power company officials discontinued participation for joint sampling,' Niladri Roy, Eastern Coalfields general manager and technical secretary to chairman said.
'We hope that they will begin to offer their services soon,' he added.
This would be an interim arrangement till an agency was identified for third party sampling, Roy said.
For the first few days after supply was resumed on 4 April, joint sampling was carried out between CIL and NTPC officials, but the differences on quality failed to subside.
Coal India chairman S Narsing Rao had said that by September 2013 an international agency for third party sampling would be in place.
Both CIL and NTPC had agreed to third party sampling at a joint meeting held recently in Delhi.
NTPC had alleged that Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) supplied coal mixed with boulders, stones and even dirt. The resolution of the issue came in the course of a meeting by coal secretary Sanjay Kumar Srivastava with CIL Chairman S Narsing Rao and NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Arup Roy Choudhury.
The affected NTPC plants were Farraka and Kahelgaon and ECL had claimed that under-payment of coal had led to accumulated dues of close to Rs 1,000 crore.
ECL has said, had they continue supplying Ranigunj coal then the accretion of dues at the rate would have gone up to Rs 1,800 crore.
ECL had supplied 50 per cent of the contract quantity coal of Rajmahal in accordance with directions from the ministry.
The Coal India Ltd subsidiary had said it has to break fixed deposits to meet its expenses and for payment of salaries.
GOVT MULLING 10% COAL INDIA LTD DIVESTMENT
Union Government on Tuesday said it is considering a proposal to divest 10 per cent of its stake in Coal India Ltd (CIL).
‘Proposal for divestment of 10 per cent out of 90 per cent government shareholding in Coal India Ltd is under consideration of the government,’ Minister of State for Coal Pratikprakash Bapu said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
The minister added that the proposal is under consideration ‘in consultation with the various stakeholders.’
‘4 HYDRO-POWER PROJECTS WAIT FOR GREEN NOD’
Four hydro power projects, having a total generation capacity of 1,472 MW, are awaiting environmental clearances, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.
These projects are in Karnataka, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
'Four hydro electric projects, which have been accorded concurrence by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), are pending for clearance in the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) as on date,' Minister of State for Power Jyotiraditya Scindia said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
They include 500 MW Hirong project in Arunachal Pradesh and 520 MW Teesta Stage IV plant in Sikkim.
According to the minister, MoEF has given environment clearance to two hydro projects having a total capacity of 994 MW in the last six months.
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