Sustainability and Environmental Issues (in Coal Mining)

1. ASSOCHAM COAL CONFERENCE (03.02.2011) Sustainability and Environmental Issues(in Coal Mining) Presentation By R.B. Mathur President Coal Energy LTD

2. Sustainability “Sustainability” can be achieved by reducing pollution. Hence reducing Co2 – emission on account of burning of coal is the most important aspect for sustainability of coal mining and coal usage.

3. Reducing Co2 - Emission Coal has a profound influence on our Country’s energy perspective with almost 280 billion tons of coal reserves and yearly production to go to 2000 million tons from present level of 532 million tons/year there is bound to be higher Co2 emission on burning of coal.

4. How to improve the situation(Mining) Overall Ash percentage of coal on national basis goes up by 1.2% every year resulting in more usage of coal for producing one unit of power. At Patratu Thermal Power Station, the heat rate is 6000 Kcal/kg approx where as national average is 3400 Kcal/kg and some stations it is 2300 Kcal/kg. At production level, it is not tonnage of coal which is important but the real pointer to watch is heat content of coal produced. 90% of coal produced in Country is from opencast mines and it is in variable mixed with OB.

5. USAGE OF COAL Statute provides for using 34% ash content coal only to be used at Power Stations located 1000 Kms – away from mine but there is no monitoring of this ash content and none has been prosecuted so far. U/G mining and clean coal technologies will improve efficiency of burning of coal and less coal will be used for producing same power.

6. Environmental Issues • Land degradation. • Deforestation. • Subsidence. • Air pollution. • Water pollution. • Soil Pollution. • Abandoned Mines. • Mine Closure.

7. THE LAND • Land is the most important input for coal mining and there should be a enabling legal framework to return the mined out land. • Land with CIL: - 1.5 lakh hectares = 1500 Sq Kms (1 Sq Km = 100 hectares) • Mined out land with : - 30,000 hectares = 300 Sq Kms • Suggestion: - • Mined out land can be given to society. • This land can also be given to Forest deptt. For a forestation. • Bottleneck: - CBA(Act) 1957 – This is to be amended to enable returning the land.

8. Sustainability vis-a-vis Go-No Go- Concept • 203 Coal blocks having more than 30% Gross forest cover have been grouped in ‘No Go’ category. There is a way out by mining in sequential manner. • Coal bearing Area = 0.54% of country’s Area. Coal bearing Area = 0.16% of Total forest area of country. C. Suggestion: - Plant 3 trees for every tree uprooted.

9. Concluding remarks • Singareni, Korba, Talcher, Bokaro, Gomia, Patratu, Ramagundam are emerging coal burning centre's. There is need to use washed coal even for pit head T.P.S. • Follow low carbon path – U.C.G. for deeper deposits. • Adoption of inpit crushing & conveying system in place of large fleet of dumpers. • Future UMPPs must be based on washed coal. This should be obligatory. • Adoption of supercritical & ultra super critical made of Power generation. • Import of coal should be for +5500 Kilo/Kg only and not poorer grades. • Coal production target of our country must have quality base and not tonnage only. Deteriorating coal quality should be arrested.

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