Tata Group, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL), and Monnet Ispat & Energy are among the 11 companies that will have to give up captive coal blocks.
Tata Group and JSPL were given mines to develop coal-to-liquid (CTL) projects, while nine companies, including Monnet Ispat & Energy, were awarded blocks to feed steel and power projects. (In a CTL project, liquid fuels such as methanol, petrol and diesel are produced from coal.)
A decision to this effect was taken on Monday by an Inter-Ministerial Group headed by Additional Secretary to the Coal Ministry.
The recommendations will be sent to Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal for a final decision, a senior official told Business Line .
The committee that undertook a review of 30 blocks found progress in mines awarded to NTPC, SAIL and GVK Power, the official added.
In 2009, the North of Arkhapal Srirampur block in Odisha with nearly 1,500 million tonnes of estimates reserves was awarded to Strategic Energy Technology Systems Pvt. Ltd. (SETSPL), a joint venture between the Tata Group and South Africa’s Sasaol. Ramchandi Promotional block with similar coal reserves was awarded to JSPL. But neither of the companies has developed the block nor made progress in setting up the CTL plant.
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