Hyderabad: In a major milestone for Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), the first rake of coal from Naini (Odisha) reached the National Thermal Power Station (NTPC) in Mancherial district on Thursday. Loaded with approximately 4,000 tonnes of coal, the rake travelled 1,131 kilometres, marking the first-ever transportation of coal from an SCCL-owned mine outside Telangana to the state.The arrival of the inaugural coal rake created a festive atmosphere at Singareni Thermal Power Plant (STPP) at Jaipur in Mancherial district. The inaugural consignment comprised high-quality G-10 grade coal transported from Odisha in 59 box wagons. The coal block was allocated to SCCL by the Union ministry of coal on August 13, 2015. Coal production at the Naini mine was formally inaugurated on April 16, 2025, and the first coal consignment has now reached Telangana.The Naini coal block has an estimated reserves of 340 million tonnes, an annual production capacity of 10 million tonnes and an operational life of 36 years. Officials said the high-grade coal from the mine will help ensure uninterrupted fuel supply to the STPP at Jaipur and strengthen Telangana’s long-term power generation capacity.Currently on an official visit to the US, deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka released a video message congratulating the SCCL management, officers and employees. He said, “The state govt would continue extending full support for the strengthening of SCCL. The arrival of the first Naini coal rake marks the beginning of a new era that will secure a brighter future for the coming generations,” he said.Vikramarka said that SCCL has already secured the Tadicherla-2 block and recently acquired the Manuguru dip-side block through auction. The deputy CM expressed confidence that more coal blocks would be secured in the future. He said Singareni should expand beyond conventional coal mining into critical minerals and rare earth minerals. He added that the govt is prepared to procure the world’s most advanced mining equipment, including cutting-edge technologies, to modernise SCCL operations.
