CIL lines up 3rd auction for supply contract

Kolkata: Coal India will hold a third round of auctions for giving out longterm fuel supply contracts under Shakti B(ii) where participants of the first round would be eligible to bid. They are, however, barred from the second round which will be held soon, a government official clarified.
Shakti B(ii) is for power producers who have power purchase agreements with discoms but do not have coal supply contracts with Coal India.

Ten companies with a total capacity of 8,840 MW had taken part in the first round of auction but another five with a combined capacity of 407 MW could not participate.

Only these firms were allowed to bid in a second round of auctions, although the Shakti B(ii) auctions were initially intended to be a one-time process.

This decision evoked protests from the winners of the first round as they also wanted to bid. An official panel subsequently recommended a third auction for those who could not secure their total coal requirements in the first round. A group of ministers recently ratified the proposal.