Adani to seek public nod for Chhattisgarh power plan

Surguja Power Private Limited (SPPL), a subsidiary of Adani Mining Private Limited (AMPL), would seek people’s opinion for setting up 600-Mw power plant in Chhattisgarh at a public hearing scheduled to be held on December 30.

The 4x150-Mw thermal power project based will be based on the coal washery rejects and will come up within the Parsa East and Kete Basan coal block, which has been allotted to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (RRVUNL). The latter had assigned Adani for Mining, Development and Operation of coal block. The plant would require 4 million metric tonnes of coal (washery rejects and linkage coal) per annum to run at a load factor (PLF) of around 75 per cent.

The Adani group started the coal production in April 2013 in Parsa East and Kete Basan coal block. As per the old Environment Clearance (EC), the power plant was supposed to come up within 2-3 years of starting coal production. But the company did not take initiative. Instead it applied for amendment in the clause that asked to set up the linked power plant.

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) in September permitted the amendment. The company did not respond to a mail sent for its version for the delay in taking up the power project proposed in the mining area itself and allegation of green activists that the delay was to sell the coal rejects in open market for another couple of years.

The EC underlined that the estimated 2.25 MTPA of coal rejects shall be fully utilised for power generation in Fluidized Bed Combustion (FBC) based thermal power plant. Until the plant is established, the coal rejects shall be sold during the initial 2-3 years, to users of coal rejects for which an Agreement shall be entered into.

The green activists are gearing up to lodge strong protest against the power plant in the scheduled public hearing. They claimed that the company initially violated the EC norms and went for amendment to cover it up.