CIL to invest Rs 1,500 cr to set up 28 washeries

Kolkata, March 20 To ensure supply of washed coal to customers, state-owned Coal India will invest a staggering amount of Rs 1,500 crore to set up 28 washeries in its subsidiaries in the Eleventh Five Year Plan.

“CIL has decided to set up 28 washeries in the first phase which together will have a capacity of 97 million tonne,” said company chairman Partha S Bhattacharyya.

The washeries, to be owned by CIL, will be built and aintained by companies, he said.

CIL has already sent bid documents to subsidiaries, which were in the process of identifying locations for setting up the washeries. Tenders will be floated within 6 to 8 months and contracts, which will be for 10 years, will be awarded within 2008-09. Tender for setting up washeries in the second phase will be floated during 2009-10.

Bhattacharyya said that rejects in the washeries will be used for setting up pithead power plants.