'CIL should set up washeries near reject based power plants'

An inter-ministerial committee has recommended state-owned CIL encouraging setting up of washeries along with reject-based power plants so that rejects can be consumed in the same place, doing away with the need to transport them for long distances.
The IMC to formulate policy on coal rejects allocation for washery-based power plants, which met recently, has suggested that the present washery based rejects generated by Coal India (CIL) could continue to be sold through e-auction, an official said.
At present CIL generates about 1.3 million tonne per annum of rejects through washery.
However, as and when new washeries get commissioned and more rejects are generated, applications for grant of long-term linkages of coal rejects (washery by-products) generated by CIL/SCCL washeries would be invited, the official quoted the recommendations to say.

The IMC under the chairmanship Coal Additional Secretary A K Dubey has members from ministries like power and environment.
Coal India has awarded contracts for construction of two washeries as part of efforts to augment its capacity to crush coal and ensure better quality of the dry fuel.

The government had earlier said that comprehensive measures for enhancing domestic coal output were being put in place along with stringent mechanism for quality control and environmental protection, which includes supply of crushed coal and setting up of washeries.
"CIL has initiated action through global tenders to establish 16 coal washeries with an aggregate capacity of 100.6 Mty... Construction job of three washeries are in progress and the same for two washeries have been awarded," Coal India said.

The company added that "Jobs of other washeries are in different stages of evaluation."
Of the 16 proposed coal washeries, six are coking coal with a capacity of 18.6 million tonnes per year and 10 non-coking coal washeries with a capacity of 82 million tonnes per year.
At present, CIL operates 17 coal washeries with a total capacity of 39.4 million tonnes per year. Out of these, 13 are coking coal washeries with a total capacity of 24.90 million tonnes, while four are non-coking coal washeries with a total capacity of 14.50 million tonnes.