Mahanadi Coalfields Limited to set up power, smelter plant

TALCHER: In a bid to boost its coal business, Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), the second largest company of Coal India Limited (CIL), aims to set up a power and smelter plant in the State.

This was announced by Chairman-cum-Managing Director P K Sinha as he concluded his three-day visit to Talcher on Tuesday. Sinha also said CIL has set a target to achieve 163 metric tonne (MT) of coal at the end of the current financial year along with a target to dispatch 182 MT of coal to various power stations of the country.

Out of the targeted 163 MT, Talcher coalfield which produces 60 per cent coal of the company will post 98 MT in this year, he added. Stating that a slack in demand in the power sector during the pandemic had resulted in a slump in coal dispatch, Sinha assured that the situation is improving at a fast pace.

As far as coal stocks go, the CMD said there was a pit-head stock of 17 lakh MT of different collieries, adding that Hingula mine has the largest stock.