Efforts on to reach 100 MT coal production by 2030, says Singareni CMD

Since the government allowed private companies to explore coal in the country, the monopoly of SCCL as the single largest coal producer in south India was being challenged

Kothagudem: Efforts were being made to obtain permissions for pending opencast mines to reach 100 million tonnes coal production by 2030, said Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) chairman and managing director, N Balram.

Production at Naini coal block in Odisha would soon be started and nearly one crore tonnes of coal would be produced in the mine. The process of obtaining permissions for Kothagudem VK OC, Yellandu Rompedu OC, Ramagundam coal mine and Goleti OC would be expedited, he said. Balram addressed the employees at the annual Singareni Day celebrations organised here on Monday. Stressing on the need of increasing mechanisation to enhance production, he urged the employees to make efforts to improve their productivity to face future challenges.

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Since the government allowed private companies to explore coal in the country, the monopoly of SCCL as the single largest coal producer in south India was being challenged. As a result the company has to compete with private and other public sector companies in coal production, he noted.

At present the use of machines in the company is 12 to 16 hours a day and it has to be increased to 20 hours a day to reduce production costs and increase production. The employees should also utilise their eight hours duty time optimally to increase production, which could lead to increased profits and profit share for the employees, Balram explained. The SCCL would soon set up an 800 MW supercritical thermal power station at Jaipur in Mancherial district where a 1200 MW capacity power station was already functioning earning Rs 500 crore profits for the company.

The company, which set up 245 MW capacity solar power plants so far, planned to increase the capacity to 540 MW in the next one year. Similarly it was being planned to set up 1500 MW capacity solar power plants in the solar valley in Rajasthan and other States. The company was exploring opportunities to enter into exploration of minerals, other than coal, the CMD revealed.

As part of business expansion activity, it was being planned to set up a 500 MW pumped storage power plant at the closed Medipalli OC. If the experimental geothermal power plant at Pagideru in Manugur area becomes successful, a 300 MW geothermal power plant could be set up there, he added.Earlier in the day, Balram along with the company directors hoisted a flag and inaugurated stalls put up at Prakasam stadium, where the main celebration of Singareni Day took place.