Coal India (CIL) subsidiary South Eastern Coalfields (SECL) has recently launched three projects which will bolster its coal production and dispatch in Chhattisgarh. The three projects include the rail rapid load out system (RRLOS) in Gevra area under first-mile connectivity (FMC), workshop complex in Kusmunda area, and Baroud siding in Raigarh area.

The SECL is gearing up to meet the target of 200 MT of coal production set for FY24, and has set up a workshop for repair and maintenance requirements of heavy earth moving machinery (HEMMs). The projects also include dumper washing, bay lubrication, compressed air, EOT crane along with power supply, indoor and outdoor lighting, communication, ventilation, and firefighting. The workshop is equipped to house and handle HEMM machinery, such as an excavation complex, E&M complex, store complex as well as a substation and others.

The rapid loading system (RLS) project at Gevra entailed a cost of Rs 222 crore. With the RLS, 20 million tonne (MT) of coal will be dispatched every year, and is set to become Asia’s largest coal mine with 70 million tpa capacity. In FY23, the company fell short of 182 MT target and ended up with 167 MT, which was 17 percent more than the previous year.

The 30,000 tonne capacity bunker built in the RLS project, will enable 4,500 to 5,500 tonne of coal to be loaded into rail rakes per hour. The complex in Kusmunda, spread across 16 hectares has been set up with an estimated cost of Rs 248 crore, which is SECL's second largest mine with a capacity of 50 million tpa.

The SECL is procuring over 400 HEMMs, which include 261 dumpers with capacity range of 60-240 tonne. The Baroud siding with a capacity of 20,000 tpd will aid the loading of four rakes of coal daily from Raigarh area. The FMC project will be further strengthened with the ongoing construction of a coal handling plant with a capacity of 10 MT per annum at Baroud for daily dispatch of six coal rakes.