NEW DELHI: Coal India has cancelled its short-term tender for which Adani Enterprises emerged as the lowest bidder, and is likely to source coal from an Indonesia-based consortium, which according to sources is offering the fuel at Rs 2,000 lower price.
Sources say the largest coal producer in its board meeting decided to cancel the short-term tender of 2.416 million tonnes (MT) and asked PT Bara Daya Energy to supply the indented quantity against the medium-term tender. “The rate at which CIL is getting coal from the medium-term tender is much lower than the price quoted in the short-term tender, thus the latter is being cancelled,” said a government official.
“Moreover, as per the bid document, we can enhance our coal requirement up to 100% in the medium-term tender. It means, we can ask PT Bara Daya Energy, the Indonesia-based-consortium to supply up to 12 MT,” he added.
As the country was facing a coal shortage, CIL had floated its maiden tender to import 2.416 MT from abroad on behalf of power producers to stock up on coal. On June 10, again CIL floated two medium-term tenders for sourcing 6 MT of additional coal from overseas to supply to power plants. As per the industry source, Gautam Adani-led-Adani Enterprises quoted about Rs 17,000-plus per tonne for importing 2.416 MT of coal for the short-term tender. The company emerged as the lowest bidder but the contract had not been awarded. While, for the midterm tender to supply 7.91 lakh tonnes of imported coal, CIL awarded the contract to PT Bara Daya Energy (consortium).
“The Indonesia-based consortium has quoted Rs 2,000 per tonne less than the rate quoted by the Adani group firm. Therefore, in the meeting, we evaluated everything and decided to cancel the short-term tender.” “We have learned that CIL has cancelled the short-term coal import tender, where Adani Enterprises was the lowest bidder. Cancellation of this tender is the prerogative of CIL.” said an Adani Group spokesperson.