MCL to supply 100 MT coal from Talcher coalfields: CMD

• MCL is targeting coal production of 163 million tonne and despatch of 182 million tonne in the current financial year
• MCL aims to become a net-zero carbon emission company by setting-up solar power plants of a total 182 MW capacity in Odisha, said the CMD

Talcher: State-run Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, has planned to supply 100 MT coal from Talcher coalfields, as it moves steadily to achieve the coal production and despatch targets in financial year 2021-22. During a press interaction on Tuesday, PK Sinha, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, MCL, who was on a three-day visit to Talcher coalfields, said that MCL was performing well and steadily progressing to achieve the targets — coal production of 163 million tonne and despatch of 182 million tonne — set for the current fiscal.

The CMD was on a visit for regular inspection of coal production and despatch operations, review of performance and resolution of other issues related to employees and peripheral population. OP Singh, Director (Technical/Operations), KR Vasudevan, Director (Finance), Keshav Rao, Director (Personnel) and Baban Singh, Director (Technical/Projects & Planning), also accompanied the CMD during the visit.

Coal demand

"Coal will continue to keep its relevance in the energy sector. Apart from a couple of months, when industries were under COVID19-induced lockdown, the demand for coal has remained encouraging," said MCL in an official statement. The company, which produced 148.01 million tonne during 2020-21, has kept a target to produce 163 million tonne of coal production to meet the growing energy demand of the country.

In the current financial year, MCL has been able to liquidate around 6 million tonnes of coal from the stock, which was around 23 million tonne at the end of the last financial year.

Business diversification

To a question on business diversification, the CMD said MCL was planning to diversify business operations. The company, which has successfully set-up a 2MW solar power plant at Burla, aims to become a net-zero carbon emission company by setting-up solar power plants of a total 182 MW capacity in Odisha. Besides, the company is also exploring possibilities to diversify into aluminium sector.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

MCL, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, which operates coal mines in Jharsuguda, Sundergarh and Angul districts of Odisha, continued uninterrupted mining operations during the lockdowns to fuel electricity generation, besides taking several initiatives to provide assistance in the fight against Covid-19 virus and spread awareness among peripheral population. Actively participating in fight against pandemic, MCL has been funding COVID19 Hospitals in Odisha.

In 2020-21, MCL had spent Rs 205 crore for various socio-economic, education and healthcare projects under CSR.

To a query on the commencement of a medical college at Talcher, the CMD said that the company had gone for an open tender to appoint an operator to run Mahanadi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (MIMSAR), Talcher, and evaluation of offers was underway.

MCL

With a commitment to provide clean coal, MCL is has set up a dedicated Coal Corridor to shift vehicular movement out of inhibited areas, has deployed a fleet of new-technology "fog cannons" for dust suppression, massive plantation in and around mining areas. MCL is implementing nine First Mile Connectivity projects to provide pollution-free state-of-the-art rake loading systems at a total expenditure of Rs 3,600 crore. This will also generate a despatch capacity of 126 MT/Yr by 2024, said the statement.

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