MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COAL(INDEPENDENT
CHARGE) AND MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE
MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
(SHRI SRIPRAKASH JAISWAL)
(a) The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) assesses the
demand/coal requirement of various thermal power stations
in the country. As per the Annual Contracted Quantity
(ACQ) recommended by CEA, 14.60 million tonnes have been
recommended for the plants of West Bengal Power Development
Corporation Limited (WBPDCL) and 3.20 million tonnes for
the plants of Durgapur Projects Limited (DPL) during 2009-
10.
(b)&(c): Supply of coal to all existing power stations
drawing coal as on 31st March, 2009, including those located
in West Bengal are in terms of Fuel Supply Agreement
(FSA). The contractual commitment vis-Ã -vis actual supply of
coal for the period April-January,2010 from Coal India
Limited (CIL) sources, source-wise to WBPDCL and DPL is
given in the table below:-
(Figures in million tonnes) (Provisional)
Generating Source Annual Commitment Despatch Material-
company Contracted till isation Quantity January,10
West Eastern 4.150 3.374 3.409 101%
Bengal Coalfields
Power Limited
Development (ECL)
Corporation
Limited
(WBPDCL)
Bharat 1.300 1.057 1.368 129% Coking Coal Limited (BCCL)
Mahanadi 9.150 7.430 3.080 41% Coalfields Limited (MCL)
Total 14.600 11.861 7.857 66%
Durgapur Eastern 0.300 0.244 0.376 154%
Project Coalfields
Limited Limited
(DPL) (ECL)
Bharat 0.900 0.732 0.133 18% Coking Coal Limited (BCCL)
Mahanadi 2.000 1.627 0.821 50% Coalfields Limited (MCL)
Total 3.200 2.603 1.330 52%
(d) While the supplies from Eastern Coalfields Limited and
Bharat Coking Coal Limited have been more than the committed
quantity to WBPDCL plants, the overall dispatch from CIL
sources was less than the commitment level because of less
lifting of coal by the power stations from Mahanadi
Coalfields Limited (MCL). WBPDCL was initially reluctant
to lift coal from MCL and subsequently from November, 2009 onwards due to less
availability of railway
wagons, dispatch from MCL could not pick up. Sporadic
unloading constraints at the power stations and unit
shutdown at Santaldih TPS also resulted in less overall
dispatches. DPL has also been reluctant to lift coal from
BCCL and MCL and had not submitted programme for supply of
coal to these coal companies.
Further, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
both WBPDCL and DPL agreed to take additional coal of low
ash content and of higher calorific value (Grades A, B &
C) from the loss making identified underground mines of
Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) at an import parity
adjusted price. ECL has made additional dispatch of 1.11
million tonnes and 0.146 million tonnes under this MoU
to WBPDCL and DPL respectively.
(e) As per the information available, currently the Cost
Insurance Freight (CIF) price of Indonesian non-coking
coal of Gross calorific value of about 5500 K.Cal/Kg,
equivalent to Grade C Raniganj coal of ECL, imported at
an East coast port, is around 81 US $ per tonne ,
equivalent to Rs. 3753 per tonne considering an exchange
rate of Rs. 46.33 per US $. With the present custom duty
at 5%, the total price of imported coal at Indian un-load
port works out to Rs. 4093 per tonne. Compared to this,
the ex-pithead price of Indian coal varies from Rs. 678
per tonne ( Grade F coal of MCL) to Rs. 2973 per tonne (
Grade A coal of Northern Coalfields Limited).
(f)& (g) The quality of coal produced by CIL is largely
of lower grades because of the reasons that the coal
deposits in India have inherently high ash content due
to their Drift origin. Accordingly, most of the power
stations in India are designed for the use of
indigenous high ash coal. Further, the consumers,
especially from the power sector, are getting their coal
washed through washeries to reduce ash content in coal to
some extent. Coal India Limited is also in the process of
enhancing their washery capacity in different subsidiary
companies.
