New Delhi: State-run Coal India Ltd (CIL) has imported approximately 3.58 lakh tonnes of coal from Indonesia, Minister for Coal Pralhad Joshi told the Rajya Sabha on Monday. "Approximately 3.58 lakh tonne of coal has been imported by Coal India Limited (CIL) from Indonesia through the vendor namely M/s GHV-BDE-DIL (JV) during this year on behalf of Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) of State GENCOs and Independent Power Plant (IPPs)," Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi told the Rajya Sabha in a written response to a question raised in the house.
Orders for the supply of imported coal were placed by Coal India based on "firm orders" and advance payments by various power generating companies, the minister told the Upper House of Parliament.
As per the data provided by the Ministry of Power, 86 percent of the imported coal has been utilised, he added. Considering the increasing electricity demand and for building up of coal stock at power plants before the onset of monsoon, the Ministry Power had on April 24 asked power plants to import coal for blending purpose to blend 10 percent of their coal requirement.
Subsequently, after reviewing the coal stock position, the Ministry in August decided that the states/IPPs and Coal Ministry may decide the blending percentage after assessing the availability of domestic coal supplies.
CIL's supplies to power plants went up by 39.5 MT to 380.7 MT during April-November, up 11.6 percent year-on-year. Supplies stood at 341.2 MT in the year-ago same period.
The total coal dispatch to all sectors stood at 445 MT till November, registering a jump of nearly 24 MT. Stock at CIL's pitheads at the end of November stood at 28.5 MT, the PSU had said.
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