KOLKATA: NTPC managed to ship coal for the first time on Thursday – 10 years after it was allotted a block in 2006.On Thursday NTPC flagged off the first rake of coal from its Pakri Barwadih coal mine in Jharkhand . The mine has estimated mining capacity of 15 million tons per annum(MTPA).NTPC received the coal block from the government as a basket mine to meet fuel shortfall for its power stations. Coal mining is integral to NTPC’s fuel security strategies.NTPC realizes that greater self-reliance on coal will go a long way in ensuring sustained growth of generation. NTPC has been allotted as many as 9 blocks. These are Pakri-Barwadih, Chatti-Bariatu, Kerandari, Dulanga, Talaipalli and Chatti-Bariatu (South), Banai, Bhalumunda and Mandakini B.These mines have total geological reserves of around 7.15 billion tonnes with a production potential of 107 million tonnes per year and can fuel 20000 MW of power generation capacity.Nevertheless, Pakri barwadih, the block which started shipping coal on Thursday is spread over 46.26 sq km with a production capacity of 15 tonnes per year with a total mineable reserve of 641 million tonnes.