Hyderabad: Despite having nearly two million tonnes of high-grade coal ready for dispatch from its Naini coal block in Odisha, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is able to transport only a fraction of the available stock, leaving Telangana’s power utilities scrambling for fuel and forcing the state to look for alternative sources to meet rising demand.The transportation bottleneck has emerged as a major hurdle for SCCL, which owns the Naini coal mine in the Chhendipada belt of Odisha. While quality coal is available in abundance, the company is unable to dispatch even 10% of the stock daily because of the lack of dedicated rail and road connectivity and resistance from villages along the transport route.The issue has assumed significance as Telangana’s thermal power plants, particularly the Yadadri Thermal Power Station (YTPS) at Damaracherla in Nalgonda district, require a steady supply of superior-quality coal. Officials said Naini coal is grade-10, which is of better quality than the G-12 and G-13 coal mined in Telangana.According to officials, Yadadri requires at least 14,000 tonnes of coal a day to operate at full capacity. Telangana Genco has indicated that the ultra supercritical plant ideally requires even higher grade G-9 coal for optimum performance.SCCL currently supplies coal to both the Singareni Thermal Power Plant (STPP) at Jaipur in Mancherial district and YTPS. However, because of the growing demand for Naini coal, the Jaipur plant is now largely dependent on local G-12 and G-13 coal. Sources said shortages at Yadadri have affected generation, with two units currently shut.With coal supplies from Naini remaining uncertain, chief minister A Revanth Reddy recently directed the energy department and Telangana Genco to procure G-9 coal from Mahanadi Coalfields Limited and ensure that Yadadri operates at full capacity by Dasara.“The SCCL has been able to transport only 8,000 to 10,000 tonnes of coal from Naini daily as there are time restrictions where coal transport is allowed only between 10 pm to 6 pm and in one village Kosala the time to pass through the village is between 12 am and 4 am. There is no bypass for the village connecting state highway 63. This is posing a major challenge for coal transportation to Telangana thermal power plants,” a senior SCCL official said.Coal transportation from Naini was halted for some time earlier this year following protests by villagers who cited accidents, pollution and road damage caused by heavy truck movement. The issue was subsequently resolved by the Angul district administration through regulated transport timings.To address the problem permanently, SCCL is backing a proposed 68-km coal corridor railway line connecting Balaram-Tentuloi-Jarapada, which would provide rail access to the mine. The company has also deposited funds for land acquisition and rehabilitation for a proposed road bypass. However, officials said the rail corridor alone could take at least three years to become operational.Meanwhile, SCCL has offered to supply Naini coal to Andhra Pradesh if AP Genco arranges transportation. Sources said Andhra Pradesh is exploring options to move coal from the Odisha mine and may leverage its ties with the state govt there to facilitate smoother transport.
