Reuters reported that NTPC Limited is looking at the option of importing coal directly from the next financial year instead of the current practice of routing it through agencies such as MMTC.

Mr RS Sharma chairman and MD of NTPC said that the power major has set up a committee to look into the issue after experiencing delay in imports. He said that “We are exploring that. We have set up a committee.”

Mr Sharma said that the Government had mandated State run MMTC to import 12.5 million tonnes of coal on behalf of NTPC. The tender, reissued at the end of August is yet to be awarded and the delay is hitting production at some of NTPC’s plants.

He said earlier that NTPC would float the bulk tender order for securing equipment for five 800 MW units before March 2010. We would float bulk tenders for 4 to 5 units of 800 MW units before March 2010. NTPC, which has an installed generation capacity of 30.64 GW, plans to achieve a generation of 75 GW by 2017.

Mr HS Brahma Power Secretary said that MMTC may award the coal import tender in the next eight to 10 days. MMTC is likely to award the much delayed tender for the import of 12.5 million tonnes of coal on behalf of NTPC in the next 8 days to 10 days.”

He said that the total coal requirement of NTPC during the current fiscal is around 150 million tonne. Since the imported coal has a high calorific value, 12.5 million tonnes of the imported dry fuel would be equivalent to around 19 million tonne of domestic coal.

(Sourced from Reuters)