Coal, power ministers discuss substituting imported coal with domestic fuel under 'Atmanirbhar' campaign

Coal Minister and Power Minister met to discuss the substitution of imported coal to domestic fuel as part of government's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' goal.

New Delhi: Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday met his counterpart in the power ministry, R K Singh, and deliberated on substituting imported coal with domestic fuel as part of initiatives towards the government's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' goal.

During the meeting, both ministers also deliberated on strategies for removing bottlenecks to augment coal supply in the country.

"Had a meeting with MoS (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri @RajKSinghIndia. Deliberated on substituting imported coal with domestic coal to build an #AtmaNirbharBharat. Also strategies for removing bottlenecks to increase coal supply in the country were discussed," Joshi said in a tweet.

In another tweet, Joshi said that he held meeting with Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers D V Sadananda Gowda and Union Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya to address various issues pertaining to Talcher Fertilizer Ltd.

"Emphasised on resolving all issues and timely setting up the fertilizer plant," Joshi tweeted.

Talcher Fertilizers Ltd is a joint venture between GAIL India Ltd, Coal India Ltd, Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd and Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd (FCIL).

In August, Joshi had reviewed the progress made in operational activities of Talcher Fertilizers Ltd and asked it to expedite the coal gasification project.

The coal gasification-based ammonia-urea project, a first-of-its-kind in the country, would have a design capacity of 2,200 tonnes per day of ammonia and 3,850 tonnes per day of urea, the government had earlier said.

The state-of-the-art plant at Odisha will produce 100 tonne per day of sulphur flakes as a saleable by-product.

The plant will produce 2.38 million tonne cubic metres per day of natural gas equivalent synthesis gas from coal, the government had said.

Earlier owned by FCIL, the plant stopped production in March 1999.

Now, Talcher Fertilizers Ltd is reviving its operations.

TFL's promoters have so far committed Rs 8,000 crore on various awarded contracts, the government had earlier said.

(PTI Report)