(The Hindu Business Line)
Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has a tough task ahead to achieve it’s 72 million tonne (MT) annual production target from mines in Telangana. To meet the target the first four months production will be crucial as it has to maintain a significant level of production — 2.25 lakh tonne daily.
SCCL has set a 72 MT production target from Telangana mines and 4 MT from Naini, Odisha mines. The state miner has set 2.25 lakh tonnes daily target. SCCL, which is a joint undertaking of the Government of Telangana and the Government of India, has been expanding its reach diligently in last few years and also focusing on bettering the production capacity by use of technology and constant review of production facilities.
Some of the key customers of SCCL coal includes NTPC, which procures 70,000 tonne from the daily output. With NTPC , the coal miner has an agreement for procuring coal for the Ramagundam plant. But, recently there were media reports that NTPC is set to purchase 28 million metric tonne of coal from the South Eastern Coal Fields (SECL) at Korba, which is a subsidiary of Coal India Limited. This was mainly due to the cost difference between SCCL and SECL coal. SCCL coal was expensive, according to reports.
However, sources in SCCL said that NTPC can procure from others too, there is nothing stopping them, besides the coal being produced by SCCL in Telangana mines has got it’s own customers — Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation, Maharashtra Power Generation Corporation, Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation, Telangana Power Generation Corporation and Karnataka Power Corporation.
Expanding its portfolio with key being a coal producing company, now SCCL is exploring opportunities to work together with National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) looking for critical minerals. Couple of days back SCCL commercialised it’s mine in Odisha. Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu who also holds the energy portfolio assured that the State will extend full support for Angul Area Development.
The commencement of the Naini mine in Odisha signifies Singareni’s entry into a new era of global expansion, he had said when commissioning the mine. To further enhance employment opportunities for local people in the Angul region, he announced plans to set up a 1600 MW thermal power plant near Naini and sought the cooperation of the Odisha government for land acquisition.
