The rise in lignite production in the country will push up the power generation capacity of Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) to 5,640 megawatts by 2025, said Piyush Goyal, Power Minister, in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

He said since in most cases lignite mines were linked to downstream power stations, concerted efforts were being made for timely implementation of ongoing projects and taking up new projects.

“On completion of these projects, 26.3 MTPA of additional capacity is envisaged to be added by NLC by 2025 from the existing lignite production capacity of 30.6 MTPA,” he said, adding that the higher lignite production would support an additional generation capacity of 2,400 MW and the total lignite-based generation capacity of NLC would reach 5,640 by 2025. He was replying to a question raised by Congress member Rajiv Satav on whether the Centre was considering export of lignite coal.

Goyal informed the House that it had allotted three lignite blocks to Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation in August 2015, of which one was meant for power generation and the other two for commercial mining. Also, Vastan Lignite block has been allocated in principle to Gujarat Industries Power Company Ltd for underground coal gasification purposes.

On a question by BJP’s Prahlad Patel on the potential of coal gasification and if any block had been identified, Goyal said while ‘gasification’ was the future of the coal industry, the government was moving cautiously, as the technology for the process was not quite established as yet.

“There are only two technologies that we are aware of as successful – in China and the US,” he said. On the blocks identified for gasification by the Centre, Goyal said in Rajasthan and Gujarat, eight lignite blocks and seven coal blocks had been identified.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW