Seeking to secure supply of coal for its upcoming future projects to meet the energy targets, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), has decided to hunt for coal blocks in South Africa, Mozambique and Indonesia. NTPC's aggressive posture for securing fuel supplies comes close on the heels of its competitors in the private sector Reliance Power and Tata Power having secured coal blocks in Indonesia and exploring similar options in other countries. Stating that it was important to secure fuel supplies to ensure that challenging targets for the XI and the XII Plans are met, the newly appointed NTPC Chairman and Managing Director, R. S. Sharma, said the company at present imports about two million tonnes of coal out of the total requirement of 110 million tonnes to fire its thermal power plants. The company is looking at coal mines with a capacity to supply 20 million tonnes of coal annually. "We are looking at acquiring coal mines in Indonesia, Mozambique and South Africa. The company needs about five million tonnes of coal for projects already planned and the balance would meet the fuel requirement of future projects. It had already floated a joint venture firm, Coal Ventures International Limited, with Steel Authority of India Limited, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, Coal India Limited and National Mineral Development Corporation to secure coal mines abroad. Mr. Sharma said NTPC was now looking at engineering procurement construction (EPC) contracts in West Asia. It was also trying to secure a contract for sourcing three million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Nigeria in lieu of setting up a 700 MW gas-based power plant and a 500 MW coal-based plant in the African nation.