Sasan UMPP gets govt nod to raise coal output to 17.2 mtpa

Reliance Power today said its arm Sasan Power Ltd (SPL), which runs a 4,000-MW ultra mega power project, has received Coal Ministry's nod to produce 17.20 mtpa coal from Moher & Moher Amlohri extension mines.
"SPL has been permitted to produce coal up to 17.20 mtpa during current financial year 2015-16 by Ministry of Coal (MOC) from its Moher & Moher Amlohri extension coal mines," the company said in press statement.
In June 2015, Coal Ministry had directed SPL to limit annual coal production at 16 MTPA.
Based on representations by SPL and its procurers to permit SPL to produce the requisite coal sufficient to meet the requirement of Sasan UMPP, the ministry vide its letter on March 15, 2016, has permitted to increase the coal production up to 17.20 mtpa during 2015-16.

The company said that this will enable SPL to sustain its power plant operations, which are currently at about 100 per cent Plant Load Factor (proportion of installed capacity utilisation), creating a new benchmark in its very first year of full scale operations, in the Indian Power Sector.
It claimed that this will facilitate Sasan UMPP to generate additionally 2,200 million units of electricity, which will benefit 42 crore population amongst seven procurer states.
Moher & Moher Amlohri Extension coal mines, the largest captive coal mine in the country in terms of volume handled, has achieved highest coal production of 16 mtpa and is set to create a new benchmark of coal production amongst the private sector players, it added.

Reliance Power, a part of the Reliance Group, is a private sector power generation and coal resources company. The company has the portfolio of power projects in the private sector, based on coal, gas, hydro and renewable energy, with an operating capacity of 5,945 MW.