Tata Power scouts for coal blocks abroad

Private power producer Tata Power is scouting for coal mines abroad, including Australia and Mozambique, to meet demand for their upcoming projects.

"We are looking at mines in Australia, Mozambique and some smaller ones in Indonesia, that could give us 2-3 million tonnes of coal," a company official said.

Tata Power already has 30 per cent ownership in a block in Indonesia and the company is able to meet 50 per cent of its coal requirement from this property. It is also looking at other sources.

When it comes to domestic power projects, the company has said that it would bid only for the projects, which have coal linkages, as it does not have the appetite to import the dry fuel in the near future.

The company is executing the 4,000 Mw Mundra ultra mega power project in Gujarat and will be importing 12 million tonnes of coal initially from the Indonesian blocks, the company officials said, adding that nearly half of the dry fuel requirement of the UMPP project will be procured from these mines.

Tata Power has an installed capacity of 2,768 Mw and has set a target of becoming a 12,000 Mw company by 2014. This 12,000 Mw capacity includes the company's projects which are at various stages of implementation and also Mundra UMPP.

The company is also developing a 1,600 Mw imported coal-based project at Dherand in Maharashtra for which the state government would acquire the land.

It, along with Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), is executing a 1,050 Mw thermal power project in Jharkhand. Tata Power holds 74 per cent equity in the project and 26 per cent is held by DVC.

It has also been alloted 500 million tonne capacity tubed coal mine in Jharkhand for developing a 500 Mw power plant. The project is a joint venture between Tata Power (60 per cent) and Hindalco (40 per cent).

The company is also implementing two 120 Mw power projects in Jamshedpur for providing electricity to Tata Steel's manufacturing plant.