Competition Commission today slapped a fine of Rs 591 crore on state-owned Coal India for having unfair conditions in fuel supply agreements.
Lat year, 3 thermal power producing companies knocked the doors of the Competition Commission of India alleging abuse of dominance by Coal India. They alleged imposition of unfair and discriminatory conditions in the Fuel Supply Agreements signed by Coal India.
NTPC and Coal India could not meet the target of signing 29 Fuel Supply Agreements (FSA) by Wednesday as the two PSU majors could ink FSAs only for 28 units. The 29 thermal power units of NTPC have a combined output of 14,510 MW. "
Coal India and power producer NTPC on Thursday signed two model fuel supply agreements (FSA) breaking the deadlock of nearly one year over it. NTPC's 500 MW Kahelgaon unit in Bihar and 500 MW Farraka unit in West Bengal signed the FSA for 2.31 million tons of coal with Eastern Coalfields, a subsidiary of Coal India
"A Group of Ministers constituted by the Cabinet discussed the draft bill in detail and has forwarded the final draft to the Cabinet for approval," said Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal
Coal India shares are down around 2 percent to Rs 297.50 on media reports that a minority shareholder in the company has written to the Prime Minister‘s Office (PMO) seeking an audit by the Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) for fuel supply agreements (FSAs) signed between the miner and its customers.
State-run CIL will provide till the month-end coal under the MoU route to power plants even as firms like NTPC are yet to ink FSAs, sources said.
Ministries of power and coal would prepare a list of electricity producers to whom coal will be allocated on priority basis, according to an official document.
Amid uproar over foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail, Power Minister Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia told Lok Sabha that there was a generation loss of 11.63 billion units in FY12 on coal shortage.
The Power Ministry has sought a few changes in the model fuel supply agreement that Coal India Ltd has to sign with power firms by the November-end deadline set by the PMO.
Amid the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) asking power companies to sign fuel supply agreements (FSA) with Coal India (CIL) by this month-end, so far 30 power plants have entered into pacts with the coal behemoth.
The board of Coal India will meet tomorrow to resolve the contentious issue of penalty and finalise fuel supply agreements (FSAs) to be inked with power firms.
The government may ask Coal India to import the dry fuel to meet the growing domestic demand and adopt price pooling of international and indigenous coal for supplying to power companies.
The meeting of board of directors of Coal India scheduled for tomorrow to deliberate on the issues relating to signing of the fuel supply pacts with power firms, has been postponed.
The Prime Minister's Office has called a meeting next week to resolve the issues related to fuel supply pact, with the Power Ministry not agreeing to the PMO directive that CIL assure power firms of providing 65% of the total coal contracted.
In a bid to resolve the fuel row, the Prime Minister's Office today asked state-owned Coal India (CIL) to sign the pacts with power producers with assured minimum coal supply of 65% of the commitment.
Coal India has introduced a one-time offer that allows power utilities to lift the fuel directly from mines.
The Prime Minister's Office will meet Coal Ministry officials and Coal India‘s chairman and managing director Narsing Rao to discuss three-year moratorium on fuel supply agreements.
In a setback to thermal plants facing fuel shortage, Coal India has informed power producers that it can assure only 60% of supply and would "gradually" reach the 80% mark in the coming years.
State-owned Coal India has directed its subsidiaries to enter into fuel supply pacts with power units that are coming up between January 2012 and March 2015, bringing a respite to fuel-starved power companies.
Arup Roy Choudhury, the chairman and managing director of NTPC, believes the penalty on supply defaults will be hiked once Coal India succeeds in ramping up its production capacity.
Coal India's S Narsing Rao today said that every effort is being made by them to ramp up production so as to meet the coal needs of corporate India.
Coal India may import 10 million tonnes of coal this fiscal to meet the obligation of supplying a minimum assured quantity of fuel to power companies under the Presidential directive, its CMD-designate S Narsing Rao said today.
Coal India is expected to enter into fuel supply agreements (FSAs) with as many as 50 firms, including NTPC, Reliance Power and DVC, for a total capacity of 28,000 MW, sources said.
Government has issued Presidential Directive for Coal India (CIL), reports CNBC-TV18, quoting sources.