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Coal crunch: Govt tells power producers to raise imports

The government has advised power utilities to increase coal imports to meet fuel shortages and those that have fuel supply pacts with Coal India Ltd (CIL) to lift coal under ‘as is where is’ scheme by arranging their own logistics.

‘In order to ensure adequate availability of coal, Coal India Ltd has been impressed upon to enhance production of domestic coal in the country and power utilities have also been advised to enhance import of coal,’ Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
Further, CIL has offered all power producers drawing coal under fuel supply agreements (FSAs), to lift the coal on ‘as is where is’ basis with the stipulation that they will make their own evacuation arrangements. This scheme, earlier implemented by the coal companies, has been extended for 2014-15 also, Goyal said.


Western Coalfields Director Prakash to hold charge of CMD
New Delhi:  Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL) Director (Technical) Om Prakash will also function as Chairman and Managing Director of the public sector company.
Om Prakash, a veteran mining engineer, has been given the additional charge by the Coal Ministry, a WCL statement said here on Monday. The top post fell vacant following the death of incumbent CMD Dinesh Chandra Garg last month.

‘All TPPs (Thermal Power Plants) including...NTPC having FSA from CIL sources have been informed to lift coal under this scheme by arranging their own logistics for movement from coal offered from various pithead locations,’ he said.

CIL has also offered one million tonne coal from cost plus mines of Western Coalfields Ltd, a CIL subsidiary, through short term MoU, Goyal said. With a view to monitoring coal supplies to power sector, Goyal said, an Inter-Ministerial Sub-Group comprising representatives of ministries like power and coal has been constituted.

‘This Sub-Group takes various operational decisions for meeting any contingent situations relating to power sector including critical coal stock position,’ Goyal said. The minister further said that during this fiscal, as against domestic coal requirement of 527 MT, availability of domestic coal is 473 MT, leaving a shortfall of 54 MT.
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