Equal use of domestic and imported coal: TANGEDCO seeks amendment to environmental clearance for NCTPS III plant

CHENNAI: Tangedco has sought environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change for changing the coal mix of its 800 MW North Chennai Stage III Super Critical Thermal Power Plant from 100 per cent imported coal to the use of domestic and imported coal equally.

The utility has approached the MoEF and CC for an amendment to the environmental clearance for changing the coal mix even as it floated a tender to procure imported coal for the North Chennai Stage III plant.

According to the Tangedco officials, when the project was proposed, it was planned to use imported coal by sourcing it from MMTC.

A fuel supply agreement for imported coal was signed between MMTC Limited and Tangedco on May 25, 2015, for the supply of 2.51 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) of coal for the project. However, the utility has planned to change from the use of 100 per cent imported coal to the use of domestic and imported coal equally.

Tangedco has a Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) with Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) for a quantity of 1.971 million tonnes per annum which is 50 per cent of the coal requirement that has been executed for 25 years.

A senior Tangedco official said that the change in the coal mix was done considering the high cost of the imported coal and the availability of the domestic coal linkage.

According to Tangedco sources, the trial operation of the unit is underway, and it has generated a maximum of 400 MW.

“The trial operation will continue until the unit achieves stabilisation. Since it is the first supercritical plant with a generation capacity of 800 MW, it will take a few more months to resolve the teething problems,” sources said.

As of now, the NCTPS Stage III unit has generated over 130 million units since the Chief Minister inaugurated the plant on March 7, this year.