Despite growth, 28 coal plants still face super critical stock

Despite growth, 28 coal plants still face super critical stock
V K Gupta
28 December, 2011
The coal production in country showed a growth of 4.9 % in the month of November with an improved coal supply to thermal plants but 28 thermal plants have super critical coal stock of less than 4 days.
CENTRAL ELECTRICITY Authority (CEA) which monitors 89 thermal stations of country maintained in a report on December 25 that 46 thermal stations had critical coal stock of less than 7 days including 28 thermal stations with less than 4 days super critical coal stock. The average coal stock at thermal plants across the country is 7 days.
As per CEA latest report Farakha, Kodarma and Mejia thermal stations have out of stock whereas at Durgapur steel thermal station, Kahalgaon the coal supply is yet to begin. Talcher, Raichur, Kolaghat, Parli, Khaparkheda Unchahar, Kota, Chhabra and Anapra C have only one day coal stock. These plants are just living from hand to mouth effecting generation.

In Haryana coal stock at Yamunanagar and Panipat have coal stocks for three to four days only. AT Yamunanagar only one thermal unit is running for last three months with little hope of the revival of unit in near future.

In Punjab coal position is quite comfortable. Ropar thermal has 27 days coal stock while Lehra Mohabatt thermal has 20 days coal stock.

The coal production in country fell by 4 % during first 8 months of financial year compared to 0.7 % increase during corresponding period of last year. Coal India Limited (CIL) on Tuesday revised production target of 440 million tons (MT) for 2011-12 which can only be achieved if the output grows by 10 per cent on average in the remaining months of the current fiscal.

The country is expected to import 135 MT to meet the demand of the power sector. The dependence on imported coal would not come down and would go up instead with the coming up of new power plants. It is expected that we will have to import 194 MT of coal in 2017.

The production target of CIL was initially fixed at 452 MT at the beginning of the financial year and was scaled down to 440 MT about a month back. However coal shortage has hit the power plants in the country but the coal ministry has assured regular supply to the power plants.