Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) entered into an MoU with the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) at Dhanbad recently to avail the latter’s technical services and ensure uninterrupted coal production in some of its mines.
The MoU signed by officials from both sides in the presence of SCCL CMD Sutirtha Bhattacharya, CIMFR director Amalendu Sinha and director-general, Mines Safety, Rahul Guha, will help the company to implement its Adriyala long-wall project for uninterrupted coal production.
The MoU will help SCCL to avail the technical services including monitoring and status of method of working, strata management, spontaneous heating and subsidence related activities.
SCCL is the only coal producing company in South India, currently producing about 9.6 per cent of national coal production with about eight per cent reserve base.
Presently, SCCL is operating total 49 mines with 34 underground mines and 15 opencast mines. During 2012-13 SCCL produced 52.19 tonnes with production mix of 78 per cent (41.59 tonnes) from opencast mines and 22 per cent (11.59 tonnes) from underground mines.
Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) is a constituent laboratory of CSIR and is aimed to provide R&D inputs for the entire coal energy chain from pre-mining to post consumption through integration of core competency in the field of mining and fuel research.
Keeping in view the past experience of long wall mining in the country, SCCL likes to completely associate with CIMFR in execution of long wall equipment at Adriyala which is likely to be commenced by the end of this year.
Sutirtha Bhattacharya stated that he was trying attempting to provide the company best facilities available in the country for safe mining at SCCL. He mentioned that SCCL would have further association with CIMFR for scientific studies as part of MoU.
Similarly SCCL is planning to associate with ISM, IICM and CMPDI for technical expertise.
Rahul Guha stated that he was happy to associate in this unique agreement that was taking place in the field of scientific research. He highlighted the contribution of CIMFR in the mining field for conducting various studies starting from RMR, empirical formulations to numerical modelling.