NLC India Limited has commenced coal production at the Pachwara South Open Cast Project in Jharkhand, marking a key milestone in the development of a dedicated fuel source for its thermal power project in Uttar Pradesh.
The coal block is being developed by Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Limited (NUPPL), a joint venture of NLC India Limited and Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL), with an equity shareholding of 51:49, respectively. NUPPL is setting up a 3×660 MW Ghatampur Thermal Power Plant in Uttar Pradesh, for which the Pachwara South Coal Block has been allocated to meet fuel requirements.
The Pachwara South Coal Block, located in Dumka district of Jharkhand, was allotted by the Ministry of Coal, Government of India, on October 3, 2016. The block, which was previously unexplored, has since been fully explored by NUPPL through detailed drilling across the entire block.
Coal production at the project commenced on March 29, 2026, following the start of overburden removal on December 19, 2025.
The coal block has an extractable reserve of 264.84 million tonnes, with a normative mining capacity of 9 million tonnes per annum and an average coal grade of G10.
