Country's largest power producer NTPC today signed an agreement with Inland Water Authority of India (IWAI) and Jindal ITF for transportation of coal to its 2,100-MW power plant located at Farakka, West Bengal through inland waterways.
"Jindal ITF has been selected as an operator by NTPC and IWAI through a International Competitive Bidding process," the company said in a statement.
The project will use a trans-shipper (for ferrying goods to the respective destination), anchored near Haldia port on east coast on which coal will be unloaded and further loaded into barges for transportation to NTPC Farakka Power Station, the statement added.
This project includes the operation of the largest barge fleet in India along National Waterway, connecting Haldia and Allahabad, and will promote use of inland waterways.
NTPC which currently generates over 34,000 MW of power plans to raise this capacity to 75,000 MW by end of the XIIth Five Year Plan Period (2012-17).
Meanwhile, NTPC will import 16 million tonnes of coal in the current financial year (2011-12) to bridge the shortfall from domestic sources.
Of the total 16 million tonne, 12 million tonne would be imported through State Trading Corporation (STC) and the remaining would be imported by the company itself.
The total coal requirement of the company during this fiscal stands at 164 million tonne.
The company has also chalked out ambitious diversification plans for setting up a 9,750 MW hydro power project in Arunachal Pradesh for which it would be investing close to Rs 1,00,000 crore over the next 10 years.
NTPC is currently in talks with the Arunchal Pradesh government regarding the matter
