BHUBANESWAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate four important projects of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) during his visit to the state on Saturday.
The projects include the Bhubaneswari phase-I coal handling plant, Lajkura rapid loading system (RLS), IB Valley washery and Jharsuguda-Barpali-Sardega rail line phase-1. With a coal dispatch capacity of 10 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) through rail mode, Bhubaneswari phase-I is a first-mile connectivity (FMC) project in Talcher coalfields. Built at a cost of Rs 335 crore, it will reduce rake loading time to approximately 50 minutes and bring down coal transportation costs.
While the Lajkura RLS of 15 MTPA capacity constructed at an investment of around Rs 375 crore has been designed to enhance coal quality and supply besides reducing loading time, the IB Valley washery has been built at a cost of over Rs 557 crore in Jharsuguda district to cater to the high demand of quality coal.
Similarly, the 50-km second track of Jharsuguda-Barpali-Sardega rail line phase-1 built by MCL at a cost of Rs 878 crore will significantly enhance rail infrastructure, facilitating seamless transportation and ensuring efficient coal supply chains.
Director (Finance) of MCL Ajit Kumar Behura said the four projects have been set up at a combined investment of Rs 2,145 crore for reducing rake loading time and enhancing coal quality by introducing eco-friendly transportation to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
With the enhancement of capacity at an investment of around Rs 9,000 crore in coming years, Behura said, MCL has set a target of 330 MTPA production by 2028-29. “MCL will be first in the country to cross 200 million tonne of coal production this fiscal. We have a target of achieving 290 million tonnes in 2024-25,” he added.
The prime minister will also inaugurate and lay the foundation of railway projects worth around Rs 2,146 crore. He will lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Sambalpur railway station, whose architecture has been inspired by Sailashree Palace. He will dedicate 168-km Sambalpur-Talcher double line and 21.7 km Jhartarbha-Sonepur new railway line besides flagging off Puri-Sonepur-Puri Weekly Express.
This apart, Modi is slated to lay the foundation for 2,400-megawatt supercritical thermal power plant of Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited (NLCIL) to be set up at an investment of Rs 27,212 crore at Talabira in Jharsuguda district.
