Nagpur: Marking a major milestone in Maharashtra’s push for energy security, state-run Mahagenco on Sunday received the first coal rake from its Gare Palma Sector-II captive mine at the Koradi Thermal Power Station — more than a decade after the block was allocated. The Gare Palma Sector-II mine in Chhattisgarh has a life of 77 years.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis flagged off the rake in the presence of revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, calling it a “historic step” towards fuel self-reliance. He said sourcing coal from Mahagenco’s own mine would stabilise supply, reduce costs, and ultimately benefit consumers across the state.The Gare Palma Sector-II coal block, located in Tamnar tehsil of Raigarh district in Chhattisgarh, was allotted to Mahagenco by the Union coal ministry in March 2015. Spread across 2,583 hectares — including 214 hectares of forest land — and covering 14 villages, the mine holds an estimated reserve of 655 million metric tonnes of coal, with a peak production capacity of 23.6 million tonnes per annum. Despite its scale, the project saw years of delay due to land acquisition challenges and multiple statutory clearances.In March 2021, Mahagenco appointed Gare Palma II Collieries Ltd, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, as the mine developer and operator. Over the next few years, critical approvals — including environmental and forest clearances, mining lease and operational consents — were secured. The Centre granted final mine opening permission in July 2025, and overburden removal began in Sept the same year.Coal production finally commenced in March 2026, under the supervision of Mahagenco chairman and managing director Radhakrishnan B, with nearly 81,000 metric tonnes extracted by month-end. Sunday’s rake to Koradi marks the beginning of regular coal transportation from the captive block.On the occasion, Fadnavis also laid the foundation stone for the main control room building of the 2×660 MW supercritical replacement project at Koradi, part of Mahagenco’s broader plan to modernise generation infrastructure.Officials said that the mine would ensure long-term fuel security for key power stations, including Koradi, Chandrapur, and Parli. They pointed out that captive sourcing would allow better control over coal quality while reducing dependence on costlier linkages and mitigating losses from grade slippage.Officials said the project aligns with the state’s ‘Viksit Maharashtra 2047′ vision, under which Mahagenco aims to scale up its installed capacity beyond 32GW through a mix of thermal, solar and pumped storage projects.With substantial reserves and rising output, the Gare Palma II mine is expected to play a crucial role in reducing fuel costs, strengthening energy security, and supporting Maharashtra’s long-term power needs.
