In wake of an acute shortage of Coal in the country, the Centre on Thursday asked Coal Controller’s Organization (CCO) to allow energy extraction from solid Coal waste, which has low Gross Calorific Value (GCV) in an environmentally friendly manner at a discounted rate of 10 %.
Presently, the government has only allowed energy extraction from coal which has more than 2,000 Kilo calorie energy per kg GCV. In a meeting held here on Thursday, the Coal Ministry told the CCO to allow energy extraction from the coal waste having a GCV of more than 15000 Kcal/kg under Rule 27 of Solid Waste Management Rule 2016.
“In line with the Rule, the Union Coal Secretary directed that the energy must be extracted in an environmentally friendly manner from such low GCV coal,” said a senior officer of the Coal Ministry.
And since the price of the Coal for GCV less than 2200 kcal/kg is not fixed, its price should be fixed at the discounted price of 10 % as against standard Coal, the Ministry said in a statement.
The Union Coal Secretary further asked the CCO that it should also evolve an Institutional mechanism to monitor the actions by coal companies to close all the suspended mines in an environmentally sustainable manner.
The CCO regulates the disposal of stock of coal or the expected output of coal in the colliery and inspects coal quality and grade maintenance. The Union Coal Secretary had called the CCO to review the ease of doing business and environmental sustainability in the coal sector.