Neyveli Lignite set to foray into coal mining: CMD

New Delhi: State-run miner Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) on Friday said it is set to foray into coal mining for power generation and aspires to become a 19,000 MW power company by 2025.

"NLC Ltd has moved from an only lignite mining and power generation company to become an energy company now by diversifying into coal based power generation and generation from renewable energy sources like solar and wind...

"... We have set ourselves a high growth target to be a 19,000 MW power company (by 2025) with its own fuel security from its lignite and coal mines," NLC CMD Sarat Kumar Acharya said today.

In a presentation to a Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to the Ministry of Coal, headed by Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal, Acharya said the company plans to go for coal mining and coal-based power generation in a big way, an official statement said.

Acharya gave a detailed presentation highlighting production and financial performance, capacity additions and ongoing and new projects.

On sustainability development projects and corporate social responsibility measures, he said thrust areas include environment improvement programme such as eco-restoration in mines, massive afforestation programmes, rainwater harvesting, waste utilisation, and conservation of bio-diversity, effective water and energy management, pollution control and mitigating the impact of climate change.

He informed that under Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan, NLC Ltd has constructed 1,414 toilets in the schools in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.

Reviewing the performance, Goyal assured the members that NLC Ltd is keen to undertake solar power plants whereever land is made available by the state governments.

Goyal requested members to send to him suggestions for maintenance/improvements of toilets constructed by the PSUs of his ministries under Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan.

He also appreciated the efforts takan by the management of NLC Ltd in maintaining its production during strike period and amicably resolving the issue.

NLC operates three opencast lignite mines of a total capacity of 28.5 Million Tonnes per Annum (MTPA) at Neyveli and one open cast lignite Mine of capacity 2.1 MTPA at Barsingsar, Rajasthan.

It has five pithead thermal power stations with an aggregate capacity of 3,240 MW. It has also installed nine Wind Turbine Generators of 1.50 MW each, aggregating to 13.50 MW, thereby increasing the overall power generating capacity to 3,263.50 MW, including a 10 MW solar photo voltaic power plant.

The company is implementing a coal based thermal power project at Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu comprising two units of 500 MW capacity each through NLC Tamil Nadu Power Limited (NTPL), a joint venture between NLC and TANGEDCO (equity participation in the ratio of 89:11).