8 thermal plants in country have zero coal stock –CEA
Vinod Kumar Gupta, 28-Oct-2011 04:00:00 AM
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Friday October 28. 2011

New Delhi

The power generation in country is suffering due to coal constraints at 8 thermal plants of country have nil coal stock.

According to Central Electricity Authority report there are 32 thermal plants in the country which comes under super critical category with coal stock of less than 4 days. Out of these 8 thermal plants with capacity of more than 9100 MW have nil coal stock. They are generating power on the basis of daily receipt of coal.

The zero stock thermal plants are Obra, Singrauli, Vindhyachal, Mejia, Kodarma Durgapur, Bakreshwar and Rajghat. The total capacity of these plants is more than 9100 MW. For Durgapur and Koderma the coal supply is yet to start. At Vindhyachal coal linkage is less than its requirements.

It may be mentioned that Coal India has been dispatching 127 rakes everyday for thermal plants across the country. After the workers strike is over and withdrawal of monsoon there has been improvement in coal movement front.

During the month of September coal requirement of 31.5 MT was estimated, however only 24.9 MT of coal was made available to the Thermal power station. As on October 26, 47 thermal power stations had critical stock including 32 stations with super critical stock i.e. stock for less than 4 days. The main reasons for coal shortages are inadequate receipt of coal and transportation problems.

In Haryana Panipat and Khedar thermal plants have coal stock for one and three days respectively. Yamunanagar thermal have 4 days coal stock. In Punjab thermal plants have sufficient coal stock.

As per CEA monthly report during the current financial year 2011-12, the anticipated gap between the requirement and availability of domestic coal was estimated around 54 MT. Out of 54 MT, 35 MT of coal was to be met through import of coal, for which all the utilities have been advised to take necessary action and rest 20 MT of coal was the requirements of power plants designed on imported coal.

It may be added that shortfall of coal supplies at thermal plants could prevent India from expanding power capacity by more than a targeted one lakh MW during next five year plan of 2012-17.This could crimp its 9 percent economic growth plan for the period,

"Availability of coal for the coal-based thermal power stations is a matter of concern," the report by the Central Electricity Authority said. About 85 percent of the target for additional generation capacity for 2012-2017 is based on coal requirements