In a move to reduce import dependency for coal, the power ministry is exploring the option of equipping thermal plants run on fuel from broad to use certain quantities of domestic fuel also. Currently, as many as 17 power-generation units, with combined capacity of 17.97 giga watt (GW) operate on imported coal, and play a significant role during peak summer seasons in tacking power shortages.
The ministry, according to official sources, is getting a feasibility study done on whether these power plants can use a certain amount of local coal and still run efficiently. The hybrid model will require capital investments, but an estimate of this could be made only after a technical assessment, which will be part of the feasibility study.
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“The ministry has assigned this task (exploring feasbility) to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and the work has already started,” an official said, highlighting that while imported-coal based plants can consume domestic coal up to certain levels, the entire engine of the power plant cannot be run by domestic coal.
Furthermore, the coal ministry has offered around 10 million tonnes of high grade coal to the power ministry for the study and to substitute imported coal with domestic coal.
“The coal ministry has offered 4 million tonnes of high grade coal from Eastern Coalfield Ltd and 6 million tonnes from South Eastern Coalfield Ltd to the power ministry for substitution of imported coal with domestic coal,” the source said, adding that if domestic coal can be used post the feasibility study, the coal ministry may convert it into supply contracts.
Last year, the then coal minister Pralhad Joshi had said that the coal ministry is likely to request imported-coal based power plants to make changes to their technologies and design to be able to use domestic coal in the next two years. “The country will have surplus coal in the next two years and we will request imported coal based plants to change their technology and design,” Joshi had said while adding that the government is trying to address the logistic and other issues in coal production and all said and done, there will be no need for imported coal stock.
Due to high ash content in the coal produced domestically,
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