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UP's Coal Block Stalled: Jharkhand Mine Idle Since 2015
17 Sep
Summary
- Jharkhand's Saharpur Jamarpani coal block allotted to UP in 2015 remains undeveloped.
- Ministry of Coal urges UP to prioritize development of the over 973 million tonne reserve.
- UP power plants operated at 48% capacity despite sufficient coal stocks.
The Ministry of Coal has pressed Uttar Pradesh to expedite the development of the Saharpur Jamarpani coal block, located in Jharkhand's Dumka district. This significant block, boasting over 973 million tonnes of reserves, was assigned to Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (UPRVUNL) on August 13, 2015. However, operations have yet to commence over a decade later.
Ministry officials cited a lack of necessary initiative from UPRVUNL as the cause for the prolonged delay. This directive occurs amidst ongoing concerns regarding coal supplies for Uttar Pradesh's thermal power plants. Despite these concerns, UPRVUNL's plants had amassed 8.41 lakh tonnes of coal by September 15, an increase from previous weeks.
Interestingly, UPRVUNL's thermal power plants maintained a plant load factor of approximately 48% throughout September so far. The Ministry emphasized that this low generation rate is not attributable to a coal deficit, suggesting that UP must address its own operational constraints. Developing the Saharpur Jamarpani block would offer UPRVUNL a vital domestic coal source, reducing future reliance on external suppliers.
