Power plants face coal shortage, says report

‘As many as 46 plants reported stocks of less than a week’

PEDDAPALLY,TELANGANA,24-03-2017:NTPC Thermal power plant at peddapally district.. Photo. Thakur Ajay Pal Singh

The power sector seems to be facing coal shortage again as 46 coal-fired power plants reported stocks of less than a week, according to official data.

According to the daily coal stock report of 113 power plants monitored by Central Electricity Authority (CEA), six plants have coal stocks for zero day and eight plants have stocks of just one day to generate electricity as on February 22, 2018.

‘No improvement’

Industry sources said coal supplies have not improved since the monsoon season last year when some of the coal-fired power plants had faced acute shortage.

Power, coal and railway ministries had taken a series of measures to improve coal supplies to power plants after power prices crossed ₹11 per unit at energy exchanges in September last.

The CEA report stated that there are 12 non-pithead power plants facing super critical coal stock situation, or in other words, have coal stocks for less than four days.

Besides, there are six such plants that have coal stock of less than seven days. Of these 46 plants with stocks of less than a week, Badarpur, Bhatinda and Panki plants are shut down.

The government, in January-end, had decided on various steps, including the use of dedicated rail transportation and setting up of power projects only within 500 km from coal mines, to boost coal supplies to power plants.