CIMFR report to HC confirms that WCL supplied inferior coal

A test report submitted to the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has rejected Western Coalfields Ltd's (WCL) consistent stance that it had supplied quality coal to various MahaGenco power plants.
An independent third party procured coal sample tested by the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) has clearly indicted that WCL supplied sub-standard coal with ash content ranging between 47 per cent to 52 per cent, as against the prescribed norms of 34 per cent.
The CIMFR report, submitted during the second week of this month, has revealed a huge disparity with respect to ash content, gross calorific value (GCV) and coal grade.

On each count, the report found that WCL had supplied sub-standard coal of lesser grade and overcharged MahaGenco.
Citing an example, the CIMFR report stated that, at Ghuggus siding, WCL had claimed that its coal had 27.84 per cent ash content with 4801 GCV and was of G-9 grade,
However, CIMFR tests found that it had 48.4 per cent ash content, with 3040 GCV and was of G-15 (six grades lower) grade.

WCL coal's ash content was on an average more than 45 per cent and the CIMFR test report for both loading and unloading points clearly contradicted its claim that it had supplied quality coal to MahaGenco.

MahaGenco has filed an affidavit last week (Friday) and the petition will come up for further hearing before the High Court on January 22.
Mahagenco said in its affidavit that it had paid at least Rs 1,350 crore more to WCL though it received inferior quality of coal.
It squarely charged WCL with "duping" it by charging exorbitant amounts for inferior quality of coal.