The Hindu Business Line : Three State power units to import coal through eastern ports

AT LEAST three State-owned power houses, one each in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Bihar, will start importing thermal coal in the current month through two of the east coast ports.

The Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) will import through the Visakhapatnam port to meet the requirement of its Koradih power station near Nagpur. National Thermal Power Corporation through Haldia for its Kahalgaon plant in Bihar and West Bengal Power Development Corporation through Haldia for its Kolaghat Thermal Power Plant.

Accordingly, the Railways is being required to provide additional rakes to facilitate transportation of the material from the ports to the power plants. An estimated 15 rakes of coal will move in the current month from the Visakhapatnam port to Koradih, an equal number of rakes from Haldia to Kahalgaon and another eight rakes from Haldia to Kolaghat.

Besides, seven-eight rakes a month too are being moved from Haldia to Budge Budge power station of CESC Ltd, a private sector power utility company in West Bengal.

The MSEB's decision to import coal through Visakhapatnam could not have come at more opportune time for the Railways, which suddenly became saddled with additional rakes following Steel Authority of India Ltd's decision to cut down on transportation of imported coking coal from the Visakhapatnam port to Bhilai Steel Plant.

The steel plant's stock position being comfortable, SAIL felt inward movement of 85 rakes in the current month as compared to 111 in January would be enough.

Import of power-grade coal has been on the rise in the current fiscal, though the total import during the whole of the year, it is estimated, will be less than originally calculated.

NTPC has so far been the major importer of coal through all the three east coast ports, namely, Haldia for its Farakka plant, Paradip for Talcher plant and through Visakhapatnam port for its Simadri plant.

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