Coal Ministry approved Allotment of 5 Coal blocks to 4 Thermal Power Plants of NTPC

The Coal Ministry on 21 September 2011 during the Round table conference on Coal approved, in principle, the allotment of five coal blocks to four thermal power plants of NTPC.

The coal blocks would be allocated through government dispensation route to NTPC's four power projects - 500 MW in Raibareilly in UP, 1600 MW at Kudgi in Karnataka, 1600 MW at Gajmara in Orissa and 3960 MW at Barethi in Madhya Pradesh.

The ministry in its bid overcome shortage of power in Uttar Pradesh, has approved two power projects in the state. These include one power project on 2,000 MW at Ghatampur in Kanpur and other at Bilhor in Kanpur of 1320 MW by NTPC.

NTPC currently has a power generation capacity of over 34000 MW, with another 14000 MW projects under various stages of construction. It has 15 coal-based and seven gas-based power stations, besides six joint venture or subsidiary power projects across the country. The state-run power utility has set an ambitious target of enhancing power generation capacity to 75000 MW by 2017.

The Coal Ministry had in May 2011 deallocated 14 coal blocks and one lignite block awarded to public sector companies like NTPC, besides three private firms, over their failure to develop the same for captive use.
Five coal blocks of NTPC which were deallocated include - Chatti Bariatu, Chatti Bariatu (South), Kerandari, Brahmani and Chichiro Patsimal.

The Coal Ministry had also warned the power major against delays in developing its other two coal blocks, in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh mentioning that they would be taken back if no immediate action was taken to rectify the situation.