New Delhi [India], October 7 : Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines, Satish Chandra Dubey, laid the foundation stone for the Karo Coal Handling Plant and Konar Coal Handling Plant in the Bokaro and Kargali regions of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), with a combined annual capacity of 12 million tonnes.
According to the Ministry of Coal, the Karo Coal Handling Plant, with a capacity of 7 million tonnes per annum, and the Konar Coal Handling Plant, capable of handling 5 million tonnes per annum, are designed to revolutionise coal transportation in the area.
The ceremony was graced by several dignitaries, including Giridih Member of Parliament Chandra Prakash Chaudhary, Bermo MLA Kumar Jayamangal (Anoop Singh), Chairman of Coal India Limited PM Prasad, CCL Chairman and Managing Director Nilendu Kumar Singh, senior CCL officials, workers' union representatives, and other stakeholders.
In his speech, Minister Dubey emphasised the strategic importance of these projects for improving the transportation network of coal. He pointed out that the plants would play a key role in achieving First Mile Rail Connectivity, a project aimed at streamlining the movement of coal from mines to the nearest railway circuits.
In a gesture of environmental consciousness, the minister also planted saplings during the foundation ceremony as part of the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign.
The Konar Coal Handling Plant, built at a cost of Rs322 crore, includes essential infrastructure such as a hopper, crusher, 10,000-tonne capacity storage bunker, and a 1.6 km conveyor belt.
With this setup, coal will be transferred to railway waggons through a silo bunker with a capacity of 1,000 tonnes. The new plant is expected to reduce the current rake loading time from five hours to one hour, significantly accelerating coal dispatch operations.
Similarly, the Karo Coal Handling Plant, with an investment of Rs410 crore, boasts a 15,000-tonne storage bunker, a 1 km conveyor belt, and a 4,000-tonne capacity silo bunker. This plant, too, will reduce the loading time from five hours to one hour, ensuring faster coal transport to its destinations.
Together, these projects will streamline the coal supply chain, benefiting both thermal power plants and other key consumers across the country.
These fully mechanised, closed-loop coal handling systems will eliminate the need for road transportation, resulting in a reduction in diesel consumption and vehicle-borne pollution.
Additionally, the plants will help curb dust pollution in the surrounding areas, making the operations more environmentally sustainable.