New Delhi Environment, public hearing rules may be eased

Some relaxation in green norms for coal mining may be on the cards. Keen to step up coal output, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) will discuss on Friday options including an easing of environment and forest clearance norms for 13 Coal India projects besides relaxing the Forest Rights Act for the coal miner. The Act seeks to recognise and vest forest rights and occupation in forest-dwelling scheduled tribes and other traditional forest-dwellers living there for generations but whose rights could not be recorded.

The government is considering allowing power and steel companies to swap their coal linkages among group entities, subsidiaries and special purpose vehicles, in a bid to optimise fuel availability and cut down the restrictive transportation charges.

At present, coal linkages given to companies (mainly in power, steel and cement sectors) are exclusive to a particular project. These linkages are non-transferable even between group companies. “We are examining a proposal on swap/transfer of allocated domestic coal linkages to reduce transportation cost and put domestic coal to best possible use,” said a coal ministry official.

New Delhi Coal India may now be allowed a lower fuel supply commitment of 65% to power companies as against 80% prescribed earlier, but will pay a much higher penalty of up to 40% of the value of t

New Delhi Power companies having long-term power supply contracts with traders, state government agencies and distribution licensees of special economic zones (SEZs) could soon get coal linkages. The government proposes to dilute a key condition in the fuel supply agreement (FSA) enabling these contracts to qualify for coal supply.

As per the existing FSA finalised by Coal India (CIL), power projects get fuel linkages only if they have tied up 60% of their generation capacity under long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with distribution companies.

New Delhi The stagnation in domestic gas and coal production has led to a revival of interest in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) business, despite it being the most expensive fuel for power generation.

Among the growing list of energy companies looking at the LNG business are government-run Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), which plans a 5 million tonne (mt) terminal at Ennore Port by 2015, and Reliance Power, which, in a joint venture with Shell, would set up a terminal with similar capacity at Andhra Pradesh, close to the its KG-D6 gas block and gas-based Samalkot power plant.

New Delhi The central government may consider tweaking the proposed Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation (MMDR) Bill, 2011, to retain its control in allocation of mineral concessions.

The existing MMDR Act, 1957, makes the Centre’s approval a must for grant of mineral concessions for most of the minerals, including iron ore, manganese and chrome. However, the MMDR Bill proposes to devolve full powers of extension, grant of mineral concession to the state governments. The states would not require any prior approval from the central government to grant a mining lease to be allocated mainly through the competitive bidding route.

New Delhi State-owned hydroelectric power major NHPC plans to form joint venture companies with private sector hydel project developers to rehabilitate their projects hit by a shortage of funds and lack of technical expertise. Under a proposal being finalised by the NHPC management, the company will pick up stakes of up to 49% in private hydro projects. These projects were allocated by various state governments to private players on the basis of financial commitments and promise of free power to sections of consumers.

New Delhi: After a long hiatus, the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) is back in action, taking strong measures to protect its stance on various issues pertaining to environment and forest

New Delhi Power, cement and steel companies, which are facing uncertainty due to environmental and other regulatory issues over their captive coal blocks, can now relax. This is because the government will soon come out with a policy on allocation of alternative coal blocks to them. The group of ministers on coal, slated to meet here on Wednesday, is expected to approve the new policy proposed by the coal ministry.

The idea, said a government source, is to remove impediments to use captive mining rights. The proposed policy would help develop projects worth billions of dollars in these sectors.

New Delhi The 12th Five-year Plan may end without any significant fresh gas-based power capacity being added in the country. The power ministry has issued a directive to all state governments and other central and state utilities asking them not to propose any new gas-based power project at least till the end of fiscal 2015.

The advisory comes as gas is in short supply domestically and the situation could worsen in coming months as production at the country’s biggest reserve, Reliance Industries’ D6 block in the Krishna-Godavari basin, is expected to fall further from already low levels.