NLC India Limited (NLCIL) achieved a significant operational milestone with the start of coal production at the Pachwara South Open Cast Mine in Jharkhand.
The 3×660 MW Ghatampur Thermal Power Plant, being built by Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Limited (NUPPL), a partnership between NLCIL and Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited, is designated to receive fuel from the coal block in Dumka district.
The Pachwara South coal block, which will be assigned to NUPPL in 2024, has 264.84 million metric tonnes of extractable reserves and a normative production capacity of 9 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) of G10 grade coal.
The removal of overburden and other preparatory mining operations commenced on December 19, 2025. Due to expedited completion deadlines, the project shifted to coal production in around three months.
The development was commented on by CMD Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, who stated that the milestone will help India’s increasing energy demand and guarantee a consistent supply of coal for the Ghatampur project.
Improving the long-term viability of the Ghatampur power project in Uttar Pradesh and securing an in-house fuel source for its joint venture are two benefits of the early operationalisation of the mine that boost NLCIL’s vertical integration strategy.
