Coal India to invest in conveyor belts

Kolkata: Coal India (CIL) and its large pithead consumers are planning a 10,000 crore investment in conveyor belts to transport coal directly from mines in a cheaper and cleaner way without using trucks. Customers will make the investment while CIL will provide land and facilities for the belts, which will be installed in mines that produce 4 million tonnes of ore, a senior company executive said on condition of anonymity. This will drastically reduce the number of trucks and reduce diesel consumption and emissions.

Besides reducing accidents and increasing the turnaround time for coal supply as conveyors can function throughout the day. It will also cut down theft as well as diversion of coal and help maintain quality.

CIL is in talks with Hindalco, Vedanta, Balco and Jindal Group, among others, for setting up such infrastructure at coal mines. The executive cited earlier said that Maharashtra government-owned Mahagenco, a large power producer, is in the process of setting up a conveyor system in Nagpur area.