Ministry panel favours extension of Nalco's coal linkage for three years

The Standing Linkage Committee (long-term) of the union ministry of coal has recommended the extension of bridge coal linkage for National Aluminium Company (Nalco). The coal linkage is recommended for three years considering the projected delays in captive mining from Nalco's Utkal-D and Utkal-E coal blocks.

As per the revised mining plan submitted by Nalco, approval to open the mine is scheduled by March 2020. Production from the Utkal-D coal mine is expected to start from March 2021. In the first year of operations, coal output is envisaged at one million tonne- this will be ramped up to 1.5 million tonne