Jaipur: Centre has given environment clearance to second phase of Parsa East and Kanta Basin (PKEB) in Chhattisgarh which will enable Rajasthan Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd to start coal mining.
Additional chief secretary, mines and petroleum Subodh Agarwal said, “The chief minister was pursuing the issue with both Chhattisgarh and Central government for the clearance which would help the power plants meet their coal requirement.” With the approval from the Environment, forest and climate change ministry, the RVUNL will be able to start mining in the 1136 hactare of the mine.
Energy minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati said the the first phase of PKEB mine is left with coal reserves that will last only one month.
“In this context the environment approval was critical to keep the power plants running. The state government was putting pressure on the centre for its approval which has come now,” added Bhati.
Also Read:
The Carmichael mine in outback Queensland state is likely to be the last new thermal coal mine to be built in Australia, the world’s biggest coal exporter, but will be a vital source of supply for importers such as power plants in India.
According to the IEA’s Coal Report 2021, India’s coal consumption will increase at an average annual rate of 3.9% to 1.18 billion tonne in 2024, on the back of a GDP growth rate of 7.4% between 2022 and 2024, which will partially be fuelled by coal.