NTPC seeks to tie up with Coal India, BHEL.

NTPC is keen to join hands with Coal India Ltd. (CIL) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) to augment its generation capacity and capability, which have been hit by coal shortage.

Minutes of a July meeting of an advisory group on integrated power development, headed by Suresh Prabhu, said, 'NTPC's performance was affected in recent years, and continues to be so, by the general situation of the coal shortage in the country. While this is true, it is also a fact that NTPC could develop the coal blocks allotted to it from 2004.'

In 2013-14, the thermal power producer's dependency on imported coal increased to 10.39 million tonnes (mt) from 9.09 mt in 2012-13. For this financial year, the figure is expected to rise to 17 mt. The company's fuel costs rose to Rs. 12,765 crore in the June 2014 quarter, 35 per cent more than in the corresponding period last year, while revenue from operations rose 16 per cent during the same period.

In a note to investors, NTPC said the robust business models of private entities in the sector offered substantial competition.

BS