Neyveli lignite
Topic: Energy Resources of India: Conventional and Non-conventional · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 5 "Mineral and Energy Resources"
Meaning
Neyveli lignite is India's largest lignite deposit. Lignite is a soft, low-grade brown coal. The deposit lies in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu. NLC India mines it and burns it in pithead power stations built at the mine, because lignite is too wet and low in heat to carry far. Neyveli matters because it is the only notable fuel source in the south-western mineral belt, a region with almost no good coal.
Example
NLC India's thermal power stations at Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, run on lignite dug from the nearby mines and supply electricity to southern India.
Don't confuse with
- Gondwana coalfields such as Jharia or Singrauli: These have older bituminous coal with more carbon and lie in the Damodar, Sone, Mahanadi and Godavari valleys. Neyveli has younger lignite in the far south.