NLC India’s mining, power capacity expansion push requires ₹75,000 cr by 2030.

Lignite miner NLC India (NLCIL), which aims to create a power capacity portfolio of 17 gigawatts (GW) and lignite/ coal mining capacity of 84 MTPA by 2030, requires an investment of ₹75,000 crore, its Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) M Prasanna Kumar said. Speaking to businessline, he exuded confidence that the CPSU will be able to generate funding for these projects. 

Currently, we have four lignite mines and one coal block under operation. Lignite mines have a capacity of 30.1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), while coal mine is of 20 MTPA. We are trying to expand our capacity in the Neyveli (Tamil Nadu) area. The land requirement and permissions are in process. We are expecting it to add around 15 MTPA there.

Other than that we are allotted the Pachwara (Jharkhand) coal block, which is for end use of the Ghatampur thermal power plant (TPP). Its capacity is 9 MTPA. We also want to participate in the commercial coal mining auctions and are targeting around 15 MTPA capacity there. So, by 2030, we want to have a capacity of around 84 MTPA.

At present, our lignite/ coal-fired portfolio is 4.64 GW, which we want to expand by another 7.36 GW. The Ghatampur (Kanpur) TPP with a capacity of 1,980 megawatt (MW) will become operational by FY24. Then we are going for one supercritical lignite-based TPP of 1,320 MW in the Neyveli area, which is expected to operate in the next 3-4 years. 

Then, we have plans to establish a ultra-super critical TPP of 2,400 MW capacity at our Talabira (Odisha) mine. We produced 10 MT in FY23 there and are targeting 12 MT. The tender is out and we are waiting for the landing acquisition to conclude. We are hopeful that by October-November 2023 we will get a substantial portion of the land and will be able to award the contract.

HBL