Coal shortage shuts down another unit at RTPS

Of the eight units in the power station, only two are functioning now

With the shutting down of yet another unit on Saturday, the Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) has closed four power generating units this week owing to shortage of coal.

The RTPS has totally eight units having a capacity to generate 1,720 MW of power every day. Two of the units have been closed for sometime due to technical reasons. As a result, only two units are functioning now with the available coal.

By 4.20 p.m. on Saturday, there was just 358 MW of power generation from the two units.

Thanks to the shortage of coal, the Yermarus Thermal Power Station (YTPS) on the outskirts of Raichur city — which has a capacity of 1,600 MW from two units — has also reduced power generation. At present, it generates 330 MW every day after one unit was shut down.

These two power stations get their coal supply from Singareni Collieries in Telangana, Mahanadi Coalfields, Odisha, and Western Coalfields, in Maharashtra. But, following shortage in supply from the mines, the power generation was drastically hit, sources said.

RTPS requires around 24,000 to 28,000 tonnes of coal every day if all eight units have to function, and YTPS requires 22,000 tonnes of coal a day if its two unites have to work. While RTPS gets 7,000 tonnes, YTPS has not been getting any coal.

“To generate some power at YTPS, we are shifting coal to the unit from RTPS,” said C.B. Yallatti, Executive Director of RTPS.

“Luckily, we do not have high demand for power right now,” he added.