Coal India and NTPC coal sampling postponed by a day
Coal sampling helps determine the energy content, using a bomb calorimeter. The coal is taken randomly from the rakes on which they are loaded for despatch.
By Debjoy Sengupta, ET Bureau |
KOLKATA: Warring state-owned firms, Coal India and NTPC, planned to begin joint testing of coal on Thursday amid claims of poor quality of the fuel being supplied but someone forgot to inform Coal India officials at the Rajmahal loading site. So, the operation has been postponed by a day.
"We wanted to take samples in front of CIL officials; however, we were told they had no information about it. We have now been told that the sampling will only be done tomorrow," an NTPC official told ET.
Coal sampling helps determine the energy content of coal using a bomb calorimeter, installed by CIL in March. The coal is taken randomly from the rakes on which they are loaded for despatch.
Sparks have flown between NTPC and Coal India officials about the poor quality of coal
Supplied by CIL subsidiary, Eastern Coalfields Ltd. Following a meeting between the chairmen of Coal India, Eastern Coalfields and NTPC at the coal ministry on Wednesday it was agreed that a pilot joint sampling would be conducted from Thursday. Coal India would bill NTPC on the result of the sample, and not on the declared quality of coal. Quality of coal is declared when a mine is opened or a new seam of coal is excavated first.
Fed up with what it says is inferior quality, NTPC has undertaken independent sampling of the energy content of the coal they received at their thermal power station end and reduced the bills raised by ECL as per quality. Seeing a possible slippage in targets and faced with an accumulation of 1,000 crore dues since October 2012, ECL stopped coal supplies from April 1 for four days.
After the coal ministry interceded, about 50 per cent supplies were resumed. However, NTPC continues to pay according to the energy content of the coal they receive at their stations.
General managers of Farakka and Kahalgaon thermal power stations who visited CIL's Rajmahal mines suggested improvements to check sample tampering. "CIL has asked for some time to make these improvements," an NTPC official said.
"We wanted to take samples in front of CIL officials; however, we were told they had no information about it. We have now been told that the sampling will only be done tomorrow," an NTPC official told ET.
Coal sampling helps determine the energy content of coal using a bomb calorimeter, installed by CIL in March. The coal is taken randomly from the rakes on which they are loaded for despatch.
Sparks have flown between NTPC and Coal India officials about the poor quality of coal
Supplied by CIL subsidiary, Eastern Coalfields Ltd. Following a meeting between the chairmen of Coal India, Eastern Coalfields and NTPC at the coal ministry on Wednesday it was agreed that a pilot joint sampling would be conducted from Thursday. Coal India would bill NTPC on the result of the sample, and not on the declared quality of coal. Quality of coal is declared when a mine is opened or a new seam of coal is excavated first.
Fed up with what it says is inferior quality, NTPC has undertaken independent sampling of the energy content of the coal they received at their thermal power station end and reduced the bills raised by ECL as per quality. Seeing a possible slippage in targets and faced with an accumulation of 1,000 crore dues since October 2012, ECL stopped coal supplies from April 1 for four days.
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After the coal ministry interceded, about 50 per cent supplies were resumed. However, NTPC continues to pay according to the energy content of the coal they receive at their stations.
General managers of Farakka and Kahalgaon thermal power stations who visited CIL's Rajmahal mines suggested improvements to check sample tampering. "CIL has asked for some time to make these improvements," an NTPC official said.
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