National Thermal Power Corporation has drawn up a plan to annually produce 50 million tonnes of coal over the next five years.

Parallel to its plans of securing coal mining blocks, NTPC is also working on an integrated project development strategy wherein it will focus on developing pithead stations close to the mines allocated to it, thereby bringing down the cost of power generated substantially.

The Union coal ministry has projected a shortage of around 11 million tonnes this year and the next.

NTPC announced its foray into coal mining in 2002-03 and applied for 16 coal mining blocks. It has however been able to get only one block.

The company has projected an output of 10 million tonnes by 2007 from the Pakri Burwadih coal block - the only one awarded to it so far.

NTPC has also factored in a production of 30 million tonnes of coal from the blocks it is eyeing in Orissa and Chhattisgarh.

The company is scouting for a captive coal mining block at Brahmani district in West Bengal for the new 500-MW unit coming up in West Bengal.

Over 80 per cent of NTPC's stations are coal-fired, while the remaining use natural gas as fuel. The power generation schedule at majority of coal-fired power stations across the country has been disrupted due to non-availability of coal.