NTPC seeks more NCL coal under flexi scheme

State-run power producer NTPC Ltd has sought more coal from Coal India subsidiary Northern Coalfields Ltd (NCL) under the Flexi Utilisation of Domestic Coal scheme, a top official has said.

NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Gurdeep Singh has urged NCL to extend its support further to the upcounty power stations of NTPC including Mauda Thermal Power Station (TPS) in Maharashtra under the Flexi Utilization of Domestic Coal scheme, a NCL official told PTI.

Singh was on a visit this weekend to Nigahi Coal mine of NCL that feeds coal to NTPC's Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power Station (STPS) -- Indias largest thermal power station.

Mauda supercritcal thermal power station has a capacity of 2,320 MW (500 MW x 2 and 660 MW x 2). However, the power station is presently operating at nearly half its capacity although NTPC is hopeful of making use of its full capacity by the end of this fiscal.

As on December 31, 2018, the plant had utilised just 1,160 MW out of the total 2,320 MW capacity.

NCL is already supplying 2.5 Lakh tonnes of coal per month to NTPC Mauda STPS under the Flexi Utilization of Domestic Coal scheme, NCL officials said.

NTPC was in talks with Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), besides NCL, to meet the desired demand of coal, company officials had said during an investor's conference call recently.

Presently, NTPC Mouda was receiving coal from Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) and South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL).

NCL has Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) with three of the NTPC pit-head thermal power stations -- Vindhyachal STPS, Singrauli STPS and Rihand STPS.

The NCL spokesperson said these three power stations are having sufficient stock of coal.

Vindhyachal STPS is fully fed by NCL coal and is having 26 days coal stock against the normative requirement of 15 days.

The Flexi Utilisation of Domestic Coal scheme envisages that all the long term coal linkages of individual State Generating Stations shall be clubbed. Similarly, coal linkages of individual Central Generating Stations (CGS) shall also be clubbed and assigned to the company owning the CGS, to enable efficient coal utilization amongst end use generating stations.

The aim of the scheme is to bring flexibility in use of such coal amongst the generating stations of state-owned utilities, plants of other state power utilities, and companies owning the Central Generating stations and Independent Power Producers, among each other.