Coal India to set up 20 new washeries

Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal today said Coal India will set up 20 new washeries with a combined capacity of 111 million tonnes to help realise a better price for its produce.

"... Twenty new washeries with an annual capacity of 111 million tonnes per annum are being taken up by Coal India (CIL) during the XI and XII Five-Year Plans," Jaiswal said at a coal gas summit here.

At present, CIL operates 17 coal washeries, out of which 11 are coking coal and the remaining are non-coking coal washeries, with a total capacity of 39.40 million tonnes per annum.

The ministry had earlier estimated that establishment of the new washeries would require an investment of Rs 2,500 crore, with a view to reduce the ash content in coal produced by CIL and improve its calorific value, among other things.