Shortage of coal supply as 20 new Coal India projects await clearance

AT A time when the many parts of the country are facing severe outages due to shortages of coal supply to the power producing companies, a total of 20 coal projects costing Rs. 20 crore and above could not be started due to constraints of land acquisition and environmental clearance in Coal India Limited and its subsidiary companies. This was stated by Piyush Goyal, minister of state for power, coal and new and renewable energy (Independent charge) in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on July 24.
"A total of 20 coal projects, costing Rs.20 crore and above, could not be started due to constraints of land acquisition and environmental clearance in Coal India Limited/its subsidiary companies," stated the power minister in Lok Sabha.
State-owned power producer NTPC had earlier pointed out...
that short supply from SCCL and other agencies led to reduced generation. The NTPC Ramagundam unit consumes 38,000 MTs a day to generate power in all its seven units.
The power minister himself said on July 20 that one fourth of the 100 coal-based power plants monitored by Central Electricity Authority (CEA) are reeling under acute coal shortage with stocks to last less than four days.
With a combined annual planned capacity of 54 million tonnes, six of these delayed mines with estimated annual output of 27 million tonnes could start this fiscal year, Goyal said. Most of the others are likely to begin operations next year.
While Coal India enjoys near-monopoly on production, the government has been taking steps in the recent past to expedite environment and land acquisition clearances,
The total estimated quantum of coal resources in the country is 301.56 billion tonnes, while the coal extracted during 2013-14 was 565.64 million tonnes.
Goyal informed parliament earlier this week that power producers have been advised to import 54 million tonnes of coal in the current fiscal to tide over domestic supply shortages
Here are the details of these projects:
1.Konar in Jharkhand: CCL (estimated capacity 3.50 Mty). Final clearance granted on 23.10.12. Delay in release of forest land. Likely year of start of production 2014-15.
2.Magadh, CCL ((estimated capacity 20.00 Mty) in Jharkhand. Delay in possession of acquired land. Likely year of start of production 2014-15
3.Parej East, CCL (estimated capacity 0.51 Mty) in Jharkhand. Delay in forestry clearance. Likely year of start of production in 2016-17.
4.Yekona I, Western Coalfield Limited (estimated capacity 0.40 Mty) in Maharashtra. Delay in physical possession of tenancy land. Likely year of start of production 2016-17
5.Penganga, WCL (estimated capacity 3.00 Mty) in Maharashtra. Delay in land acquisition. Likely year of start of production 2016-17
6.Makardhokra, WCL (estimated capacity 1.00 Mty) in Maharashtra. Delay in physical possession of land. Likely year of start of production 2014-15.
7.Singori, WCL (estimated capacity 0.80 Mty) in Maharashtra. Delay in FC & possession of land. Likely year of start of production 2016-17
8.Yekona-II, WCL (estimated capacity 0.60 Mty). Maharashtra Delay in physical possession of tenancy land. Likely year of start of production 2016-17
9.Bhanegaon, WCL (estimated capacity 0.60 Mty) in Maharashtra Delay in physical possession of land. Likely year of start of production 2014-15
10.Pauni II, WCL (estimated capacity 0.60 Mty) in Maharashtra Delay in physical possession of land. Likely year of start of production (2016-17)
11.Saraipali, SECL (estimated capacity 1.40 Mty) in Chattisgarh Delay in physical possession of land. Likely year of start of production (2014-15)
12.Bijari, SECL (estimated capacity 1.50 Mty) in Chattisgarh Delay in land acquisition & EC. Production likely to start beyond XII Plan
13.Ambika, SECL (estimated capacity 1.00 Mty) in Chattisgarh Delay in land acquisition, FC & EC. Likely year of start of production (2016-17)
14.Binkara, SECL (estimated capacity 0.36 Mty) in Chattisgarh. Delay in possession of land. Likely year of start of production 2016-17.
15.Jagannathpur, SECL (estimated capacity 3.00 Mty) in Chattisgarh Delay in land acquisition. Likely year of start of production 2016-17.
16.Kartali East, SECL (estimated capacity 2.50 Mty) in Chattisgarh Delay in land acquisition and EC. Likely year of start of production 2016-17.
17.Ketki, South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) (Estimated capacity 0.42 Mty) in Chattisgarh. Delay in FC. Likely year of start of production 2014-15
18.Natraj, MCL. (estimated capacity 0.64 Mty) in Odisha Delay in FC. Likely year of start of production 2016-17
19.Pelma Expn, SECL (estimated capacity 10.00 Mty) Chattisgarh. Delay in possession of land. Production likely to start beyond XII Plan
20.Narainkuri, ECL (Estimated capacity 0.54 Mty) in WB. Delay in Env. Clearance. Production likely to start beyond XII Plan.