State-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) has invited applications from interested state entities for importing coal that would be supplied to power plants.
"(CIL invites) NIT (Notice Inviting Tender) for selection of agency from government department or government owned company or public sector entity for supply of imported coal to purchaser (power producers) at delivery point (power plant end)," the company said on its website.
The company further said that the agency will supply coal to various power plant across the country till March 2015.
"The successful bidder shall procure imported coal through tendering for the quantity required for each quarter separately," CIL said.
CIL Chairman and Managing Director S Narsing Rao had recently said that the company may import five to six million tonnes in the current financial year.
"May be five-six million tonnes. We don't want to rule out the option. Some eligible people may come up in December and say that we want coal. It may not happen at all as it did not happen last year or it has not happened until now," Rao had said.
Coal India (CIL), the world's largest coal miner, had said in September that it is likely to import 15 million tonnes of coal for power utilities as part of meeting the fuel supply agreement (FSA) commitment.
"We have received interest for 15 million tonnes from IPPs (independent power producers) and state owned entities," CIL Director (Marketing) B K Saxena had told shareholders at the AGM.
According to the new FSA, Coal India will supply 65 per cent of the contracted amount from domestic sources and another 15 per cent through imports with pass-on pricing model.
Pass-on in other words would mean CIL will charge buyers imported coal at landed cost plus a service charge.