Neyveli Lignite Corporation

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Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) is the leading and biggest lignite mining and lignite-based power generating company in India. It is located in Neyveli 197 kilometres south of Chennai and seventy kilometres west of Pondicherry. NLC is a public sector company, owned and operated by the Government of India.

NLC covers an area of about fifty-four square kilometres, which includes Neyveli Township and temporary colonies such as Mandarakuppam, Thedirkuppam, Thandavankuppam, and Block-21. Neyveli Township has about thirty-two blocks.

The company operates thermal power plants, three large mines, a fertiliser factory manufacturing urea, and a briquetting and carbonising plant. A large percentage of the thermal electricity generated in Tamil Nadu comes from the power plants in Neyveli. The company also supplies a large quantity of sweet water to Chennai, thanks to the artesian wells in the lignite mines.

NLC operates the largest open-cast lignite mine in India and is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange. It mines twenty-four million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) of lignite, and produces 2,490 megawatts per annum (MW/yr) of electricity. The origin state Tamil Nadu gets 1,167 MW[1], while the rest is distributed to other states.

The three mines with corresponding capacities are:

1. Mine I = 10.5 MTPA
2. Mine II = 3.0 MTPA
3. Mine IA = 10.5 MTPA

The thermal power stations with corresponding capacities are :

1. Thermal Power Station I = 600 MWPA
2. Thermal Power Station II = 1470 MWPA
3. Thermal Power Station I Expansion = 420 MWPA

This power plant supplies electricity to adajacent states such as Kerala, Karnataka, and Andra Pradesh.

In 2006 the government announced plants to sell 10% of the company's shares, reducing its stake to 83.56%. ^[1]

All chemical plants have been closed since 2002. As a result, the byproducts of the burnt lignite are not being used anymore.

[edit] References

1. ^ India govt approves sale of 10 pct in National Aluminium, Neyveli Lignite AFX News Limited; 06.23.2006, 12:04 AM.