Coal India to import around 2 LT of coal

State-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) will import around 2 lakh tonnes of coal either next month or in March for suppling it to power plants.

"Coal India will import around 2 lakh tonnes of coal either in February or March," an official said.

In the earlier tranche, 1.79 lakh tonnes of imported coal was imported which landed at Mundra port and is being provided to the power plants, said the official.

In terms of the Presidential Directives issued in 2012 and 2013, CIL board had earlier decided that under fuel supply pacts for new power plants commissioned after 2009, out of the minimum assured quantity (80% of annual contract), 15% will be supplied from imported coal.

Such imported coal supply was decided to be made through a PSU importing agency under a back to back supply agreement with the power plants opting to take imported supply from CIL.

Accordingly, CIL engaged MMTC through a competitive bidding for arranging such imported coal.

MMTC floated tender for import of coal against which they received offers for supply to Nabha TPS, Talwandi Sabo TPS and NLC Tamilnadu Power.

"There was no offer received against order of CESC and the requirement of CESC was dropped under the provisions of force majeure," the company had earlier said.

The government had earlier said that CIL has received an order to import around 5 LT coal for the current fiscal.