Two more M-Sand projects proposed in WCL area
| Date :01-Feb-2023 |
By Kartik Lokhande
Buoyed with the advantages of the Overburden (OB) to Manufactured Sand (M-Sand) projects, two more such projects have been proposed in Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) area. Of these two proposed projects, the one at Ballarpur is expected to commence production by May 2023. Through its OB to M-Sand initiative, Coal India Limited (CIL) is facilitating processing of waste OB in its open-cast mines. Considering that M-Sand from overburden of coal mines have several benefits in terms of economy and environmental sustainability, CIL has decided to launch M-Sand projects in a big way. Its initiative focusses on cost-effective and high-quality sand production. Accordingly, CIL subsidiaries are set to commission five M-Sand plants by the year 2024.
As far as WCL is concerned, it already has two OB to M-Sand plants -- one at Bhanegaon and another at Gondegaon. The Bhanegaon project has production capacity of 250 cubic metres (cum) per day, and that at Gondegaon has 2,000 cum/day capacity. Already, the Bhanegaon and Gondegaon plants have so far processed 4,00,000 cum of OB and have produced 2,03,000 cum sand. Thus, these plants have generated revenue of Rs 11.74 crore, revealed the performance of these existing OB to M-Sand plants. Now, under CIL’s initiative, two more such plants are proposed in WCL area. The proposed plants include one at Ballarpur with sand production capacity of 2,000 cum/day, and another at Durgapur with 1,000 cum/day capacity. Out of the five plants proposed by CIL, Ballarpur plant of WCL is expected to commence production by May 2023. Four other plants (one each in WCL, SECL, BCCL, and CCL) are under different stages of tendering process.
As per CIL, the OB to M-Sand projects have several advantages. They are cost-effective. Using M-Sand could be more cost-effective than using natural sand, as it can be produced in large quantities at a lower cost. Also, M-Sand can have a consistent grain size and shape, which could be beneficial for construction projects that require a specific type of sand. Using M-Sand can help in reducing the need for mining natural sand, which can have negative environmental impacts. Additionally, using the overburden from coal mines can help to repurpose materials that would otherwise be considered waste.
Further, using M-Sand can help in reducing the amount of water required for construction projects, as it does not require washing before use. The manufactured sand is more angular and has a rougher surface, which makes it more workable for construction projects. Besides, the land occupied by OB dumps can be freed for alternative useful purposes, with M-Sand projects. The recovery of sand from waste overburden is the best out of waste product. Commercial sale of produced sand can generate additional revenue for coal companies. Apart from that, sand produced shall also be consumed for sand stowing in underground mines enhancing safety and conservation. Lesser sand extraction from river will reduce erosion of channel bed and banks and protect water habitat, apart from helping in maintaining water-table.
Sand Mining Framework, 2018 prepared by Ministry of Mines envisages alternative sources of sand in the form of M-Sand from crushed rock fines (crusher dust), sand from OB of coal mines. During open-cast mining, the overlying soil and rocks are removed as waste to extract coal and the fragmented rock (OB) is heaped in dumps. Most of the waste is disposed of at the surface which occupies considerable land area and requires extensive planning and control to minimise the environmental impact of mining. Hence, CIL has envisaged to process the OB rocks for sand production in mines where OB material contain about 60 per cent sandstone by volume which is harnessed through crushing and processing of overburden.