WBPDCL puts coal import on hold

State-owned power producer West Bengal Power Development Corporation (WBPDCL) has decided to put imported coal on hold for its five thermal power plants.

"The recent board meeting has agreed to put coal import on hold from fiscal 2014-15 and focus on domestic supplies from Coal India and captive sources," a senior WBPDCL official said.

"We have decided not to import in normal circumstances. But it is not banned, we will consider if situation demands," he added.

The official said WBPDCL was importing around 1-1.5 million tonnes of coal and the corporation was trying to replace the same with increased supply from Coal India and enhance captive mining to save cost.

The total coal requirement for WBPDCL is close to 19 million tonnes a year on peak production.

It has a fuel supply agreement for 14.7 million tonnes from Coal India and captive production is between 2-2.5 million tonnes, officials said. In 2012-13, the combined plant load factor was 69.5 per cent and generation was 3860 MW.

WBPDCL would add 500 MW at Sagardighi in 2014-15 which would require another one million tonnes of coal, but the company has a captive block at Panchwara (North) with reserves of 349 million tonnes.

"If we are able to get the stage-II environmental clearance for the mine, then captive coal production will not only help us in replacing imported coal for the plant, but also reduce dependence on Coal India," WBPDCL officials said.