BHUBANESWAR: Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), a Coal India subsidiary, has responded positively to the State Government’s proposal for establishment of a coal washery and coal reject-based power plants in joint venture with the Orissa Power Generation Corporation (OPGC). The MCL has requested OPGC to submit a detailed proposal with operational model of the proposed joint venture projects for consideration by the company. “The presentation (of the operational model) may be made at the earliest so that the same can be put up to the MCL Board for approval,” said AK Singh, Director (Technical) of the company, in a letter to OPGC. The State Government’s proposal for setting up a coal washery came following non-availability of quality coal to the Ib Thermal Power Station of OPGC. The Ib Thermal Power Plant of the State- run OPGC gets its coal from the Ib valley coalfields of the MCL. The supply of poor quality coal has led to generation loss and frequent breakdown of the power plant much to the inconvenience of the State which is reeling under power crisis. The quality of coal, supplied to the power plant, keeps varying and this severely impacts the operation of power plant in terms of loss of generation, excess oil consumption, tripping of boiler and high load on ash disposal, said a senior officer of the Energy Department. The State Government has proposed to set up a 10-million tonne per annum capacity coal washery and a circulating fluidised bed combustion (CFBC) boiler-based power plant under joint venture to add value to the coal rejects from the proposed washery. While the proposed coal washery will improve availability of power to the State, it will also improve the capacity utilisation of the only thermal power plant of the Government. Besides, MCL will sell the excess washed coal at a premium.
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