Latest news with #ShaktiPolicy
Economic Times
07-08-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Adani Power wins $3-b Bihar thermal project
Synopsis Adani Power secured a tender to establish and manage a 2,400 MW thermal power plant in Bihar, investing $3 billion. The company bid ₹6.075 per unit for power supply, with the project operating under a design, build, finance, own, and operate model. This initiative is expected to create substantial employment opportunities during construction and operation. Agencies Adani Power said Thursday it won a tender to develop and operate a 2,400 MW new thermal power plant in Bihar, with an investment of $3 company bid ₹6.075 per unit for the supply of power from the project, it said in customary exchange filings. As part of the contract, Adani Power would supply electricity from the ultra-supercritical generation plant to state distribution project would be set up under the design, build, finance, own, and operate model. The first unit would be commissioned within 48 months, and the last within 60 months, the company said."Our plant will... supply dependable, competitively priced, and high-quality power to the state," said SB Khyalia, chief executive officer, Adani Power. The plant will receive fuel from the allocated coal linkage under the Centre's Shakti Policy. The project is expected to generate direct and indirect employment of 10,000-12,000 during the construction phase and 3,000 once it is operational, Adani Power Power's scrip ended at ₹578.50, up 2.05% on the BSE, on Thursday.
The Hindu
05-08-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Coal linkage recommended for development of Ennore Thermal Power Station expansion project
The Standing Linkage Committee (Long-Term) for Power Sector, under the Union Ministry of Coal, has recommended earmarking of coal linkage under the revised policy, for developing the stranded 660-MW Ennore Thermal Power Station (ETPS) expansion project in Chennai. Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Ltd (TNPGCL) had requested to earmark long-term coal linkage as per the revised Shakti Policy 2025 for coal allocation, under the provision which allows conduct of tariff-based competitive bidding to develop and procure 660 MW from the stranded ETPS expansion project, as per the minutes of the discussion of the Standing Linkage Committee. TNPGCL further said they have surrendered the coal linkage allocated earlier to the project under the erstwhile Shakti Policy and the surrender has been accepted by Coal India. It further stated the 660-MW ETPS expansion plant is a non-pithead (thermal power plants are situated at a distance from coal mines), is a brownfield expansion project and is 100% domestic coal-based power plant, as per the minutes of the meeting. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) noted that the coal linkage for the project has been recommended based on the Resource Adequacy Plan accepted by Tamil Nadu. As per the Resource Adequacy Plan prepared by CEA, Tamil Nadu has planned contracts for 6,486 MW from thermal capacity till fiscal 2029-30. Further, the State is required to tie-up additional 7,000 MW from thermal capacity till fiscal 2034- 35. To meet the required 7,000 MW of additional coal-based capacity, TNPGCL has now decided to develop the stranded ETPS expansion project under public-private partnership (PPP) mode, according to the Union Ministry of Power. The Union Power Ministry also recommended earmarking of coal linkage for the project as per the revised policy. NITI Aayog, Ministry of Railways and NTPC have also recommended earmarking of coal linkage to the project, subject to fulfilment of the conditions of the revised Shakti Policy, as per the minutes of the meeting. Coal India Ltd. shall identify and intimate the coal source to Tamil Nadu indicating the quantity, likely mode of dispatch and representative quality of coal. Successful bidder shall be identified by TNPGCL within 1 year from the date of earmarking of coal linkage, failing which the earmarked coal linkage may lapse, the Standing Linkage Committee said. As per the State Energy Department's policy note for 2025-26, ETPS Expansion Thermal Power Project has faced significant challenges over the years. Two engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) contractors (Lanco Infra Tech Ltd. and BGR Energy Systems Ltd.) were terminated due to slow progress and poor performance, it said. A purchase order was issued to SBI CAPS on September 2, 2024 for engaging transaction advisory services for the preparation of feasibility report for the execution of 1x660 MW ETPS Expansion project from 'as is where is basis condition' through PPP mode. Pre-draft Detailed Feasibility Report (DFR) has been received from SBI CAPS and is currently under review, the policy note added.
India Gazette
27-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Assam CM Sarma meets Union Minister Reddy, urges for extraction and expansion of coal mining
New Delhi [India], May 27 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy in Delhi on Tuesday and urged him to extract new minerals. During detailed discussions at the Union Minister's office at Shastri Bhawan, CM Sarma requested Reddy to extract new minerals and build seamless coal linkages to the upcoming thermal power plants in the State. The Chief Minister also urged the Union Minister to expand the area of operations at the Margherita coal mines to help Assam augment its coal income. Reddy assured Sarma that he would look into the requirements of Assam in the crucial coal and mines sector to refuel the economy. 'The discussion focused on harnessing Assam's mineral potential and strengthening cooperation in the mining sector,' said CMO Assam in its official X handle. Officials from Coal and Mines pointed out that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) recently approved revisions to the country's Shakti Policy, setting off coal sector reforms that aim to transparently allocate coal to thermal power plants, while simplifying the processes around it. This comes against the backdrop of India's double achievement of surpassing 1 billion tonnes in coal production and despatch in 2024-2025. The meeting with senior officials from the Ministry of Coal and Mines was attended by Assam Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Dwivedi, and Resident Commissioner, Assam Bhawan, New Delhi, Kavitha Padmanabhan. Later, taking to X (formerly Twitter), Chief Minister Sarma posted, 'Had a good meeting on securing Assam's coal and mineral requirements with Hon'ble Union Minister Shri @kishanreddybjp Ji. We had an in-depth discussion on building seamless coal linkages to the upcoming thermal power plants in the State; expanding operations at the Margherita coal mines and extraction of new minerals.' (ANI)
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Assam CM meets union ministers, seeks new mineral extraction, expanded coal linkages, & railway infra boost
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday met Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G. Kishen Reddy and urged hm to extract new minerals. During detailed discussions at the Union Minister's office at Shastri Bhawan, Chief Minister Sarma requested Union Minister Reddy to extract new minerals and to build seamless coal linkages to the upcoming thermal power plants in the State. The Chief Minister also urged the Union Minister to expand its area of operations at the Margherita coal mines to help Assam to augment its income from coal. Reddy assured Sarma that he would look into the requirements of Assam in the crucial coal and mines sector to refuel the economy. "The discussion focused on harnessing Assam's mineral potential and strengthening cooperation in the mining sector," said CMO Assam in its official X handle. Live Events Officials from Coal and Mines pointed out that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) recently approved revisions to the country's Shakti Policy, setting off coal sector reforms that aims to transparently allocate coal to thermal power plants, while simplifying the processes around it. This comes against the backdrop of India's double achievement of surpassing 1 billion tonnes in coal production and despatch in 2024-2025. Later, taking to X (formerly Twitter), Sarma posted, "Had a good meeting on securing Assam's coal and mineral requirements with Hon'ble Union Minister Shri @kishanreddybjp Ji. We had an in-depth discussion on building seamless coal linkages to the upcoming thermal power plants in the State; expanding operations at the Margherita coal mines and extraction of new minerals." Biswa Sarma on Tuesday also met Union Minister for Railway, Ashwini Vaishnaw at Rail Bhawan. The meeting discussed at length on mitigating legacy transport bottlenecks through expansion of railway infrastructure in the State and region, modernising technologies, improving data sharing, optimising workflows and embracing collaborations. Railway Minister Vaishnaw acknowledged the fact that strengthening the railway infrastructure through expansion and improving existing ones are vital to pave the way for building a logistics hub in Assam. The meeting lasted for close to an hour. Later, taking to micro blogging platform X (formerly Twitter) Chief Minister Sarma wrote, Always a pleasure to meet Hon'ble Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji. Today we spoke at length on several efforts to mitigate legacy transport bottlenecks and expand Assam's rail infrastructure. These are crucial check marks as we plan to build a logistics hub in the State."
Mint
25-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
G. Kishan Reddy: The coal sector has been fired up to fuel India's growth
This month, as India's conflict with Pakistan was peaking, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved revisions to the country's Shakti Policy. These were part of a set of coal sector reforms that aim to transparently allocate coal to thermal power plants, while simplifying the processes around it. This comes on the back of India's double achievement of surpassing 1 billion tonnes in coal production and despatch in 2024-25, a testament to the hard work of about 500,000 workers directly involved in mining, apart from several more who indirectly contribute to the sector. Also Read: It's time to re-evaluate the utility of public sector units India's journey to 1 billion tonnes is by no means an overnight transformation, but a result of a decade of deep reforms. In 2014, the coal sector was in complete disarray. There was a severe deficit in coal production, given its dramatically rising demand. Coal and lignite production saw a modest increase from 566 million tonnes in 2009-10 to 610 million tonnes in 2013-14. A cumulative annual growth rate of 1.89% was far from sufficient for our needs as a fast-growing economy. This was being pegged as one of the biggest challenges for the newly elected Narendra Modi government. The Supreme Court's cancellation of 204 coal blocks in 2015 gave the government an opportunity to seek transformational changes. The introduction of commercial coal mining followed in 2020, marking a new era of transparency and competition. Also Read: Industrial revival may need a brand new public sector model Ten years down the line, till March 2025, about 150 coal mines have been auctioned. As for commercial coal mining, 11 auction rounds have been completed since June 2020 and the 12th round is in progress. The results? India's coal production has seen a 70% growth over the last decade. State governments have been major beneficiaries. Auction premiums and royalties have added close to ₹4.4 trillion from the entire mining sector and ₹1.6 trillion from just the coal sector to state coffers. The private sector as a strategic partner: After independence, coal output expansion was slow. A freight equalization policy provided no incentive to set up industries close to mines. On 17 May 1957, the then minister of steel, mines and fuel, Sardar Swaran Singh, introduced the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Bill in the Lok Sabha with the aim of greater public control over the coal mining industry. India's coal production at the end of the First Five Year Plan for 1951 to 1956 stood at 38 million tonnes. Also Read: Rely on modern geothermal energy to power our AI ambitions The Centre's policy was marked by distrust of the private sector. A lack of trust in the risk-taking and innovation capacity of the private sector kept the expansion of India's coal production slow, In 1990, it hovered around 200 million tonnes. The commercial auction regime introduced three decades later can be counted as a significant departure from the past. The environmental and sustainability challenge: For decades, environmental concerns in the coal and mines sector were brushed under the carpet. However, over the past decade, sustainability has moved to the forefront. Diversification has gathered pace, with ongoing solar and wind projects, pumped storage plants and Coal India's first-ever non-coal critical mineral block acquisition. Further, the Cabinet has green-lit auction premiums and royalties being received by various state government exchequers. A ₹8,500 crore coal gasification programme is underway and there are plans to increase investment further. Over the next few years, mine closure will remain a core priority. Guidelines are being revised to enable smooth mine closures. Also Read: Sumant Sinha: Nuclear energy is a crucial piece in the puzzle of climate action Recognizing the environmental advantages of underground mining, as opposed to open-cast mines, we have set a roadmap to reach 100 million tonnes by 2029-30, with its implementation in full swing. Furthermore, the ministry is fast-tracking first-mile connectivity projects to ensure that 90% of coal will be loaded through mechanized and eco-friendly systems such as conveyor belts. The future of coal usage: Despite record coal production, India's per capita use of coal energy remains far below that of China, Europe and the US. Over the past decade, coal's contribution to the overall installed capacity of electricity generation has been on a downward glide path. From 60% of India's installed power capacity in 2014-15, the share of coal-fired generation capacity has now reduced to 47%, while solar and other renewable sources have ramped up. However, the coal sector still caters to almost 79% of power consumption in India, which makes it critical to our energy mix. Meeting summer demand: Every year, a detailed action plan is prepared to meet peak summer-time demand. This year, as of 21 May, the coal stock at thermal power plants stood at 54.56 million tonnes, which is sufficient for about 20 days. Coal usage for Viksit Bharat: India's per capita electricity consumption is less than one-third the world average. As our economy continues to grow, with a GDP of $5 trillion on the near-term horizon and output of $35 trillion expected by 2047, by when India aims to reach developed-country status, our energy needs will expand. Even as India plans to achieve carbon-emission neutrality by 2070, coal will continue to be a critical pillar in our energy mix for the foreseeable future. Also Read: Don't deceive the poor world with an expensive green illusion India's coal sector is not just fuelling India's economic growth, it is also rewriting the rules of what is possible in modern mining. With innovative initiatives such as a coal trading exchange, digital platforms are now deploying AI, 5G, GPS tracking and other advanced technologies in the coal sector, along with enhanced safety and efficiency measures. Once dismissed as a corruption-laden, bloated and inefficient monolith, the coal and mines sector has undergone a seismic shift over the last decade. As we look to the future, with a sustained focus on modernization, international collaborations and sustainable practices, the journey ahead will see India achieve greater milestones, solidifying the country's role as a global leader in making good use of underground resources. The author is union minister of coal and mines and represents the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency.
