NLC India Ltd, the Navratna lignite-cum-power PSU, is at the cusp of one of the most ambitious transformations in its five-decade history. It has announced a capital outlay of `1.17 lakh crore over the next four to five years with a vision to shift from being a lignite-centric utility to a diversified, integrated energy and mining enterprise. Of the total outlay, `41,000 crore is earmarked for green energy, including `22,000 crore for upcoming renewable energy projects and `10,000 crore for pumped hydro, with the balance going toward other clean-energy initiatives. The company has set aside `50,000 crore for thermal power projects and `14,000 crore for mining expansion and modernization. A further `11,000 crore will be invested in diversified ventures such as EV charging infrastructure, lignite-to-coal gasification, and overburden-to-sand conversion.The proposed roadmap includes building 104.35MTPA of mining capacity and reaching 10GW of installed thermal capacity and 10GW of renewable capacity by 2030, while advancing new-age technologies such as battery storage, electric-charging infrastructure, and green hydrogen.

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The Neyveli (Tamil Nadu)-headquartered NLC India’s integrated lignite-mining capacity is 30.1 million tonnes, and its coal-mining capacity is 20 million tonnes.Overall, its total mining capacity is about 50 million tonnes a year. Similarly, it aims to boost thermal capacity from the existing 6GW to 10GW and renewable capacity from about 1.6GW to 10.1GW.The 2030 Vision aims to align its business with India’s long-term decarbonization goals. The diversification blueprint lays out a multilayered strategy: aggressive scaling of renewable energy, development of energy-storage infrastructure, creation of green hydrogen-ready ecosystems, lignite-to-methanol conversion projects, and a national EV-charging network. While it is executing projects across half a dozen states, Tamil Nadu will also witness significant expansion as NLC modernizes its conventional capacity and builds new renewable and storage assets in the state. Over the next five to six years, it will add 1,000MW of high-efficiency thermal capacity and step up upgrades of lignite-based units. On the renewables side, new solar, wind, and hybrid plants are planned with battery-storage integration, says Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, CMD, NLC India Ltd.The company is also preparing to deploy 500 MWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) connected to substations across southern Tamil Nadu to support renewable balancing. NLC currently operates more than 1.4GW of renewable projects in Tamil Nadu, with the new storage facilities being developed within substation clusters across the southern districts. A feasibility study is complete, and tenders for the Tamil Nadu BESS projects have been floated.”We are participating in BESS tenders across the country as well. Storage will play a pivotal role in renewable integration,” Motupalli notes. NLC’s corporate plan envisions building 5GWh of BESS capacity over the medium term.NLC is simultaneously advancing pumped storage projects (PSPs), which it sees as a key anchor for future grid stability. Partnerships with multiple state governments are under discussion, and preliminary studies for PSPs in the Neyveli mine voids are complete.Feasibility assessments are also underway for sites in Tamil Nadu and Odisha under new government guidelines.”PSPs offer clear advantages over other storage technologies. However, obtaining environmental clearances and creating evacuation infrastructure remain crucial challenges,” says Motupalli.The company is also expanding into electric mobility, with plans for EV-charging corridors across operational regions and key highways.These will include DC fast-charging stations and solar-powered charging hubs. NLC has many notable achievements: it was the first central PSU to reach 1GW of renewable capacity, has paid consistent dividends for the last 26 years, and has been profitable for 48 consecutive years.Govt of India holds a 72.20% stake in NLC, whose total assets stand at around `60,943crore, with a net worth of `19,966crore. NLC says its diversification plan is designed to support India’s decarbonization pathway while strengthening national energy security. The new portfolio mix, it believes, will improve long-term revenue stability and reduce dependence on lignite amid a rapidly shifting energy landscape.