The Power Ministry wants Coal India Ltd to re-do the mechanism of coal sampling.
Currently, Coal India tests the quality of coal in its laboratory and categorise it to different grades. Every grade of coal is priced differently.
The move is fallout of repeated complaints by power producer NTPC, which alleged that Coal India was supplying poor quality fuel.
“The process of coal sampling has to be looked at and re-visited. We are in dialogue with the Coal Ministry in terms of looking at the process,” said Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of State for Power.
“We have intimidated that there is a difference in the calorific value of coal, which is stated by Coal India and the supplies we are receiving at the stations,” said Arup Roy Choudhury, Chairman and Managing Director of NTPC.
Choudhury said that the problem was occurring in three-four locations.
“This is mostly in Uttar Pradesh. This is an issue that needs to be resolved. We have quality lapse in our stations,” he added.
The Minister also said that his Ministry’s immediate action plan was to ensure that fuel linkages for 60,000 MW were in place. “So that we can get those projects on stream,” he added.
Scindia said that as far as capacity addition is concerned, for the first and the second quarters we are on track and I firmly believe that in the third and fourth quarters we would be able to achieve the targets.