India’s major Coal supplier, CIL’s five Coal projects has postponed by Planning Commission for environmental clearances.

Environmental clearances for five major Coal projects of Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), a subsidiary of Coal India limited (CIL), has been delayed by Planning Commission. Those five projects are major supplier to NTPC’s three major Power plants — Vindyachal Thermal Power Station (Madhya Pradesh), Rihand Thermal Power Station (Uttar Pradesh) & Singrauli Thermal Power Station (Uttar Pradesh).

The Planning Commission has advised the Coal ministry not to dash for clearing the moratorium on mining.

NCL operates 13 Coal mines which have the capacity to produce about 70 MnT of Coal per year. It produced about 8 MnT of Coal in Singrauli, situated at the border of Madhya Pradesh & Uttar Pradesh.

The Coal Ministry had approached the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) on 27 Dec, 2013 for the cancelation of Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index (CEPI) imposed on mining (comprising Sidhi in Madhya Pradesh and Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh), from 17 Sep, 2013.

“The Ministry has told the CCI that, five big Coal projects are on hold because of Environmental Clearances (EC). These projects can escalates production immediately if they are free from CEPI moratorium”, the Ministry has noted in its Cabinet note.

However, the Planning Commission of India has controlled the Coal Ministry from approaching the CCI for removal of moratorium under CEPI.

The commission has asked the Ministry to include the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on panel and its examination in the cabinet note before moving to the CCI.

Denial of mining from Nigahi Coal mine, a quality Coal producer & supplier, will have bad impact on NCL’s production.

Nigahi Coal mine supplied Coal to NTPC‘s Vindhyachal Thermal Power plant having capacity of 3,260 MW, located at Singrauli district Madhya Pradesh.

Singrauli Thermal Power Station & Rihand Super Thermal Power Station, having capacity of 2,000 MW each, also get impacted as they are dependent on NCL for fuel supply.