PTC India to acquire coal mines in Australia, Indonesia

State-owned Power Trading Corp today said it would acquire coal properties overseas and has identified mines in Australia and Indonesia for the purpose.     

"We are looking for coal blocks abroad and have shortlisted mines in Australia and Indonesia where the fuel is available in abundance," CMD Power Trading Corp T N Thakur told reporters here.     

"Ideally, if we can have (acquire) an asset that can give us 15 million tonnes of coal every year," he added.     

However, he declined to give further details.     

"Whether the company would acquire the mines on its own or through its wholly-owned subsidiary PTC Energy Ltd, will be decided later," Thakur said.     

The company plans to import the dry fuel from the properties it may acquire abroad and sell it in India.     

PTC has already committed 1.5 million tonnes of coal annually to two power projects with a capacity of 250 MW, in the country for the next 25 years.      

The company has received request for supplying coal to power projects with nearly 5,000 MW capacity.     

"We have requests from 5,000 MW power projects but we have not committed anything as of now... We want to buy the properties overseas to meet that kind of demand," he said.

PTC Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PTC India has been set up to undertake various activities related to development of power and other sources of energy.     

"PTC Energy has equity in wind as well as solar power projects," Thakur said.     

The subsidiary has laid down plans to enter into the business of power generation, distribution, import of coal and others. It shall procure coal for various power plants and pay an energy conversion charge to the independent power producers (IPPs).