NLC India Ltd entered a joint venture with Adani Enterprises for the development and operation of Talabira II & III coal block in Odisha
India’s total power generation surged by 1.3 per cent in FY21, owing to fragmented contributions of private and public enterprises, despite the pandemic restrictions.
Amidst that, state-owned enterprise – NLC India (NLCIL) added 517.5 MW capacity to its energy portfolio in FY21. The addition is bifurcated between 500 MW of lignite-based thermal power & 17.5 MW of solar power through battery energy storage system. The total installed power generating capacity for NLCIL along with its subsidiaries stands at 6,061.06 MW.
The company also ventured into the coal mining business in the fiscal, starting its coal production at its Talabira mines in Odisha. Adani Talabira Enterprises, on the other hand, signed an agreement with NLC for the development & operation of Talabira II & III coal block, a few years back. The Navratna company will produce 20 million tonne of coal, adding to its total mining capacity of 50.60 MTPA from 30.60 MTPA previously.
The coal block has been developed on MDO model accorded to the Adani Group Talabira coal mines will be employed in meeting the existing and future requirements of NLC’s coal fired power plants.
Coming to the state of Odisha, it holds the second largest spot with a 24.76% share in the inventory of geological resources of Indian coal. The state has a coal inventory of 80.840 billion tonne.
Joint ventures between both the public and private enterprises enhanced Odisha’s coal production, as was expected by the signed agreement between NLC & Adani Group for Talabira’s coal block development.
Adani Group’s subsidiary, Talabira (Odisha) Mining Pvt Ltd (TOMPL) also signed an agreement for coal mining with NLC India Ltd for mine developer and operator (MDO) tender issued by the company.
NLC worked closely with the Odisha forest department to plant more tress than mandated and turn it into a model mine. A similar initiative was also undertaken by Adani Enterprises in its other mining ventures.
While public/private integrated ventures work towards ensuring uninterrupted electricity to thousands of households with their thermal power projects, considerable efforts by these companies can be seen towards augmenting their green initiatives as well.
