SECL gets environmental clearance to expand Gevra's production capacity to 70 MT

New Delhi: South Eastern Coalfield Limited (SECL) has received the environmental clearance to expand the production capacity of its Gevra complex to 70 million tonne, which will make the block the largest coal-producing mine in Asia, an official statement said.

The Gevra coal mine is located at Korba, about 193 kilometer from Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

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Gevra mine is set to become the largest coal mine in Asia. The mine has been granted environmental clearance to expand production capacity to 70 million tonne per annum (MTPA) from the current 52.5 million tonne, the Ministry of Coal said in a statement.

"The development has been made possible with the rigorous efforts of the Ministry of Coal by coordinating with the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in achieving the environment clearance of 70 million tons in record time, keeping in mind the role of Gevra as one of the megaprojects of SECL, in meeting the energy needs of the nation," it said.

The historic milestone was been achieved today with the support of the ministry and Coal India. The vision is to make Gevra the largest coal mine in the world with state-of-the-art mining operations, SECL CMD Prem Sagar Misha said in the statement.

Based in Bilaspur, SECL, with 67 blocks, is among the top three coal-producing subsidiaries of Coal India Ltd (CIL), under the Ministry of Coal. In FY23, CIL's output was 703.21 MT, out of which SECL's contribution was 167 MT.

Gevra is one of the megaprojects of SECL and the largest coal mine in the country. The mine has a strike length of around 10 km and a breadth of 4 km. It also has first-mile connectivity equipped with a conveyer belt, silos and rapid loading system for swift and eco-friendly coal evacuation.

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