Question : TRANSPORTATION OF COAL WITH ASH CONTENTS

(a) whether the Ministry of Environment and Forests have debarred transportation of Coal with more than 34% ash contents beyond 1000kms. From the source of supply; and

(b) if so, its effect on the availability of coal in far- off areas?

THE MINISTER OF COAL & MINES (SUSHREE UMA BHARATI)

(a): Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoE & F) through Gazette notifications has amended Environment(Protection) Rules, 1986 inserting a sub-rule which states as follows:-

“ (8) on and from the 1st day of June,2002, the following coal based thermal power plants shall use raw or blended or beneficiated coal with an ash content not exceeding thirty four percent on an annual average basis, namely:


(i) Any thermal power plants located beyond one thousand kilometers from the pithead and


(ii) Any thermal power plants located in urban area or sensitive area or critically polluted area irrespective of their distance from pithead power plant.

Provided that any thermal power plants using fluidized bed combustion or circulating fluidized bed combustion or atmospheric fluidized bed combustion or pressurized fluidized bed combustion or integrated gasification combined cycle technology or any other clean technologies as may be notified by the Central Government in the official gazette shall be exempted from clauses
(i) &
(ii)”.

(b): In order to adhere to the stipulation of MoE & F to supply coal with less than 34% ash content on annualized basis to power utilities beyond 1000 kms and those located in urban/critically polluted area, a Joint Apex Committee, consisting of members of Ministry of Power, Central Electricity Authority and Department of Coal, has prepared a coal supply matrix. Coal supplies to the power utilities are being made as per the coal supply matrix from indigenous sources.