NLC to double lignite mining capacity to 62.15 MTPA by 2025

Also plans to increase power generation capacity to 20,971 Mw by 2025

NLC India Limited (NLCIL) is set to increase its lignite mining capacity to 62.15 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by 2025, from its present capacity of 30.60 MTPA.  

A Navratna public sector enterprise under the administrative control of the Ministry of Coal (MoC), NLCIL also plans to have a coal production capacity of 31 MTPA and power generating capacity to 20,971 Mw by 2025.

The company is also going ahead aggressively with renewable energy projects in the wind and solar segment. Currently, the company has a power generating capacity to 4,295 Mw. 

S K Acharya, chairman and managing director, NLCIL, said that 2016-17 has been a successful and eventful year for the company. According to Acharya, the company has scaled new heights in its physical performance ever since its inception in the areas of lignite mining and Power generation.

Further, Acharya said that all the company's products registered growth over their performance from the previous year. Lignite production registered a growth of 8.49 per cent and power generation registered a growth of 14.06 per cent during the year.

Total overburden removal from all mines put together achieved in 2016-17, which stood at 2,060.70 LM3 (1,702.76 LM3 was the previous highest in 2015-16), was the highest for any year since the company's inception. Total Lignite production from all mines put together stood at 276.21 LT (266.09 LT was the previous highest in 2013-14) during 2016-17, this too was the highest for any year since the company's inception. Total power generation from all thermal power stations put together stood at 22,340.59 MU (19,988.65 MU was the previous highest in 2013-14) during 2016-17, again the highest for any year since the company's inception.

New projects in the offing

NLCIL has commenced construction activities for a 130-Mw solar power plant at Neyveli, Tamil Nadu. This is in addition to its existing 45 Mw of wind power in Triunelveli, Tamil Nadu, and 10 Mw worth of solar power projects at Neyveli. 

With respect to solar power projects in different parts of Tamil Nadu, amounting to 500 Mw, the task of finalising the land required for the projects is underway. Taking into account these projects, NLCIL's green energy initiative aggregates to 691 Mw as of now.

For the company's solar power projects in Odisha, which add up to 250 Mw, the letter of acceptance would be issued after the signing of the power purchase agreement with the state government.

Under the Centre's Green Energy initiative, the installed capacity of NLCIL in the renewable energy sector would be 4,000 Mw from solar and 251 Mw from wind by 2019.

The company had also entered into an MoU with Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for acquiring a thermal power project (2x600 Mw in Phase-I) in Raghunathpur, West Bengal. The joint-venture agreement signed with DVC in August 2016 is awaiting government approval.