BL reported that coal shortage has forced Damodar Valley Corporation to go slow on nearly 3,200 megawatt of capacity expansion, which was originally scheduled to be taken up in the next Plan period (2012-17).

While DVC hopes to complete the bulk of its ongoing 5,200 MW expansion program targeted for completion by March 2012 in the next fiscal, commercial production from a major chunk of the added capacity will depend on availability of coal.

Mr RN Sen chairman of DVC told media person that “The 2 X 800 MW stage-II expansion at Koderma (Jharkhand) and 2 X 800 MW expansion at Maithon will be taken up depending on availability of coal.” He however, clarified that the already approved 2 X 660 MW expansion at Raghunathpur (West Bengal) will be taken up once the legal dispute (over bulk tendering of power gear by NTPC) is cleared.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Sen said that a number of units already commissioned (under the ongoing expansion program) are either lying idle or running at half their capacities due to non availability of coal, either from Coal India or from own captive sources.

Out of two units of 500 MW each commissioned at Mejia thermal power station, only one unit is running. The other unit is ‘idle' for want of coal as CIL as denied a tapering linkage a temporary window granted to captive block owners to meet end use.

Out of two captive blocks (of a combined capacity to produce 6 million tonne of coal) granted to the company, one mine has just started operations and will take a year to reach peak production levels. The other one is in advanced level of development.

The coal shortage will be more acute in 2012 as nearly 2,200 MW in capacities will be added at Durgapur (1000 MW), Raghunathpur (1,200 MW ) between January and October. Mr Sen said that “Commercial production from the units will depend on coal availability adding that CIL was yet to commit supply against the coal-linkage for the Raghunathpur project.”

(Sourced from BL)