State-owned miner Coal India Ltd (CIL) is planning more pithead thermal power plants to boost coal demand.
CIL has already firmed up 1,600 MW (2x800 MW) super critical power Sundargarh district of Odisha, a pithead thermal power project by Coal India's subsidiary Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd.
"We will go for another pithead power plant in North Karanpura (Jharkhand)," Coal India director (marketing) S N Prasad told PTI.
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CIL officials said the coal fired power plant could be up to 3,200 MW (4x800 MW). Although Prasad said the capacity is yet to be decided.
"Let's see, whether we will partner with NTPC or we will excute it on our own," he said.
Coal India has set sights on a 1 billion tonne production target by 2020. But to meet the target, a double digit growth would be required as against the present average growth of 7 per cent.
Coal India's production stood at 554 million tonnes in 2015-16.
Meanwhile, Mahanadi Coalfields had said 800 acres had been acquired for the project and water linkages are in place.
The Coal India board has also ratified the 2x800 (MW) thermal power plant at the mouth of a coal field in the Mahanadi basin, which will mark the coal producer's foray into the power sector.
A special purpose vehicle (SPV), Mahanadi Basin Power Ltd (MBPL), has been incorporated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of MCL for setting up the project.
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