Thermal plants grapple with coal shortage

12 November, 2012

The average coal stock in thermal plants of country is just sufficient for five days and nine plants have nil coal stock due to less import and less supply of coal stocks by Coal India and its subsidiaries.

AS PER Central Electricity Authority's latest report, 52 thermal plants in the country have less than 7 days coal stock and out of these 35 plants are facing acute fuel shortage with less than 4 days coal stock available with them. There are 9 plants which have reported zero coal stock. CEA monitors 89 thermal plants of the country with total capacity of 97420 MW.

The main reason for the poor coal stock is less supply by Coal India and its subsidiaries. The other reason is less import of coal by thermal plants which were asked to do so by the ministry of power.

There are three plants in West Bengal, two in Jharkhand and one each in Maharashtra, Uttar Pardesh, Chhatisgarh and Madhya Pardesh which have nil coal stock. These are Farakha (2100 MW), Durgapur (1000 MW), DLL (630 MW), Koderama (500 MW), Bokaro B (600MW), Khaperkheda (1340 MW), Vindhyachal (3760 MW) Sipat (2980 MW) and Anapara C (1200 MW).

In Haryana, the coal shortage has hit all the running thermal plants in state except Yamuna Nagar thermal which is under long forced shut down. As per latest Central Electricity Authority (CEA) report, coal stock at Jhajjar was just sufficient for 2 days. One 660 MW unit at Jhajjar is under shut down for last three weeks due to coal shortage. The coal stock at Panipat and Khedar is just sufficient for3 and 6 days respectively.

In Punjab coal stock position is comfortable as Lehra Mohabatt and Ropar have coal stock of 15 days.