Singareni inks MoU with CIMFR

Institute to help execute Longwall project at SCCL for uninterrupted safe coal production

Hyderabad: The Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) on Thursday entered into an MoU with Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) in Dhanbad to avail of technical services including monitoring and status of method of working, strata management, spontaneous heating and subsidence related activities on 24x7 basis.

SCCL CMD Sutirtha Bhattacharya, Director General of Mines Safety Rahul Guha, CIMFR Director Amalendu Sinha, SCCL Director (Operations) B Ramesh Kumar and CIMFR Chief Scientist Mohan Prasad were present on the occasion. The MoU aims at close collaboration between the two in execution of Adriyala Longwall Project in SCCL with attended benefits of uninterrupted safe coal production.

SCCL is the only coal producing company in South India, at present contributing about 9.6 per cent of national coal production with about 8 per cent reserve base. It is operating total 49 mines with 34 underground mines and 15 opencast mines. During the year 2012-13, the company produced 52.19 MT with a production mix of 78% (41.59MT) from opencast mines and 22% (11.59 MT) from underground mines.

CIMFR is a constituent laboratory of CSIR and provides R&D inputs for the entire coal energy chain from pre-mining to prost consumption through integration of core competency in the field of mining and fuel research. Keeping in view of the past experience of long wall mining in the country, SCCL likes to completely associate with CIMFR in execution of long wall equipment at Adriyala which is likely to commence by the end of the year. On the occasion, Sutirtha Bhattachrya stated that since joining the company he has been attempting to establish best facilities available in the country for safe mining at SCCL. He mentioned that SCCl will have further association with CIMFR for scientific studies as part of the MoU. Similarly, SCCL is planning to associate with ISM, IICM, CMPDI etc with respect to their related field of expertise.

Rahul Guha expressed happiness at being associated with the unique partnership between SCCL and CIMFR in the field of scientific research. He highlighted the contribution of CIMFR in the mining field by undertaking various studies starting from empirical formulations etc. to numerical modelling.