Coal India Limited (CIL) has placed an order for purchase of 96 dumpers of 240-tonne capacity from Belaz at a cost of Rs 2,900 crore. The amount for the purchase of the dumpers would be met out of the company’s own finances. Dumpers are primarily used in opencast mines for transportation of bulk materials like over burden. The Maharatna company’s board had given its nod to close the deal and letter of award was issued.
The package includes cost of the dumpers and spares for eight years including one-year warranty period. Belaz bagged the contract through a global tender. The first batch of six dumpers would start rolling in within 8 months of signing the contract. Thereafter, on CIL’s green signal the remaining quantity would be delivered in batches of four every month.
The move is in line with improving the production and productivity in opencast mines. These 96 dumpers would be deployed in South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) taking the total tally of their 240-tonne dumpers to 162, with 66 previously in operation. Of the 96 dumpers, 84 would be put into operation in the Gevra project and the remaining 12 in Kusmunda of which both are mega opencast projects.
SECL, is the largest coal producing subsidiary of CIL which contributed to 25% of CIL’s total coal output of 602 million tonnes in 2019-20. Close to 61% of SECL’s total coal production is derived through opencast mines. SECL also contributed to 47% of CIL’s total underground production during 2019-20.
