Centre Greenlights Coal India’s Power Plant Investments

The cabinet committee has authorised the equity investment of Mahanadi Coalfields (MCL) for the establishment of two 800 megawatt MW thermal power plants through Mahanadi Basin Power (MBPL) and south eastern coalfields (SECL) for the establishment of a 1,660 MW thermal power plant through a joint venture between SECL and MPPGCL.

The cabinet committee on economic affairs, presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given the nod for equity investments in two major thermal power projects. The approval comes as part of the Coal India or CIL initiative. 

Further, the cabinet also stated that Coal India will use the joint venture between SECL and MPPGCL to build a 1×660 MW supercritical coal-based thermal power plant at Amarkantak supercritical thermal power station.

Additionally, a 2×800 MW supercritical thermal power plant in Sundergarh district, Odisha, will be developed through MBPL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MCL.

In addition, a press release issued by the cabinet stated that MCL was granted permission to establish a 2x800 MW thermal power plant in Sundargarh district, Odisha with an equity capital of Rs 4,784 crore (± 20 per cent). 

With an accuracy of ±20 per cent, the project's estimated cost of Rs 15,947 crore would be carried out by MCL's wholly-owned subsidiary MBPL.