Page 7 - AsiaElec Week 44
P. 7
AsiaElec GAS-FIRED GENERATION AsiaElec
JERA and Hai Phong City to explore innovative entire LNG value chain for successful project
approaches to bring about competitive LNG-to- implementation. We have more than 50 years of
power projects in Vietnam,” said ExxonMobil experience as the world’s first utility who intro-
Hai Phong Energy director Irtiza Sayyed. duced LNG to the power industry,” said JERA’s
“As a gas industry leader with strategic access managing executive officer and senior operating
to LNG supplies around the world, ExxonMo- officer, James H. Vigil.
bil is well-positioned to supply cleaner, relia- “Vietnam is a very important country for
ble energy to power Vietnam’s future. JERA JERA, and we would like to contribute to its pros-
is extremely pleased to participate in the Hai perity through various initiatives, including this
Phong project being developed by ExxonMobil important project.”
and we are eager to utilise our expertise in the
COAL
Adani take the lead in
Indian coal auctions
INDIA ADANI Group is to take ownership of its first Previous auctions only allow bidders to sell their
coal mine in India, with its subsidiary Stratatech coal to so-called captive buyers, usually a pre-de-
Mineral Resources making the highest bid for termined power plant.
the Dhirauli mine in Madhya Pradesh State. For the first time, the government is awarding
Other winners include Essel Mining & Indus- coal mines for commercial mining and sale to
tries (EMIL) of Aditya Birla Group, state-owned private companies. This was allowed following
APMDC, Sarda Energy & Minerals. an amendment to the Coal Mines (Special Pro-
Stratatech Mineral Resources lodged the visions) Act 2015, in May 2020.
highest closing bid for Dhirauli mine in Madhya Before this, a policy change in the 1990s
Pradesh (MP). It edged out the only other bidder, allowed select Indian private sector steel, cement
Hindalco Industries, by quoting a 12.5% share of and thermal companies to mine coal for use in
the revenue share. their industrial units.
This means that Stratatech will pay 12.5% But the mine allotments were cancelled by the
of its coal revenues from the mine to the state Supreme Court in 2014 on the grounds that they
government were made arbitrarily.
Dhirauli mine in the Singrauli district has a As such, private ownership of coal mines has
peak rated capacity of 3mn tonnes per year (tpy). been a major political issue in India. The coal
India has begun running its first commercial sector is on the one hand seen as the backbone
coal mine auctions, with Adani Group making of the Indian industry.
the most bids with 12 for the 19 mines on offer. However, liberalisation and privatisation of
Next come Aditya Birla Group and JMS Min- many mines are part of government efforts to
ing with five bids each, while the Naveen Jindal make the coal industry leaner and profitable, as
Group has made four bids well as cutting imports.
India is opening up commercial coal mining On the other hand, the government is com-
to the private sector after five decades. mitted to promoting renewables and cutting
The current auctions will allow the new coal’s share of power generation
owners to sell their coal to the highest bidder.
Week 44 04•November•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P7
