Prepared to meet surge in demand: Coal India

Friday saw record power consumption

An Indian labourer breaks up pieces of coal at a depot in Siliguri on October 18, 2010. India has launched its largest-ever share sale, with the government looking to raise 3.5 billion dollars by offering 10 percent of state-owned giant Coal India -- the world's biggest coal miner. The offering invites foreign and retail investors into the global resource behemoth, which produces 80 percent of India's coal through 471 mines in eight states. AFP PHOTO/Diptendu DUTTA

State-owned Coal India Ltd. (CIL) on Saturday said it was prepared to meet any surge in demand for coal from the power sector.

The statement follows power demand touching an all-time high of 187.3 GW on Friday. “CIL is well geared to meet any surge in demand for the dry fuel from the power sector, especially on the back of close to 63 million tonnes’ stock at its pitheads,” the public sector unit said in a statement.

The company is also pushing for increased production, to shore up supplies to coal-fuelled power plants. In this backdrop, close to 67% of the total coal-fired power generation in the country depends on CIL’s supplies. Of the 199 GW of coal-based power programmed for generation per day during the ongoing fiscal, 133 GW is scheduled from CIL-linked coal.

Average coal-based power generation of power per day, which was 2.795 BU till Friday, spurted up to 3.072 BU, a jump of almost 10%.

Coal-based power generation remains consistently high over other categories.