Ministry rejects construction of power plant at coal reserves

India's Ministry of Coal rejected NTPC's proposal to construct its 1,980 MW North Karanpura super thermal power project at District Chatra - Jharkhand.

The said site is where a plant of the National Thermal Power Corporation plant is located.

The ministry said this is due to the massive coal reserves that have been discovered in the area.
 
One of the primary reasons that the ministry wants the plant to shift away from the current location is the massive amount and value of coal reserves in the region. The value of these reserves, the ministry contends, is estimated anywhere between $87.5 billion to a whopping $540 billion.

The ministry further argues that considering the high import prices of coal, the reserves found in the area are too valuable to be risked with.

In addition, keeping the plant at the existing location with all the requisite safeguards may also involve many other issues such as increasing port capacities, in land movement capacities and associated costs.