Coal stock ‘critical’, Rajasthan staring at power blackout

JAIPUR: Frantic calls are being made from Vidut Bhawan in Jaipur to the Union coal secretary in Delhi as the thermal power units in the state are being shut down one after another due to the 'critical stock position' of coal. The state is staring at power blackout if replenishment of coal to these thermal power units is not made on an emergency basis, according to sources.

Principal secretary of energy department Sanjay Malhotra speaking to TOI said, "The coal crisis is a serious one and the terminal power units were left with hardly any stock of coal to produce power."

When asked how many thermal power units are now already shut down, he said 'many'. When asked for the reason for the coal shortage, he passed the buck by saying that "only the Coal India Limited could answer that query."

However, N K Kothari chairman and managing of the Rajasthan Vidut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (RVUNL) said "two units of Chabbra terminal power plants has been closed for maintenance and three of the six units of Surajgarh thermal plant has been closed down due to shortage of coal." But he said the Kota Super thermal power plant has not reduced production. He said two rakes of coal has arrived for the power plants in Rajasthan giving a temporary reprieve.

He informed that the coal shortage is due to the rain and flooding of the coal mines in Jharkhand and other coal producing states resulting in the reduction in production and the increase in demand from both the private and public power plants with power demand still in high.

"Currently we have a stock for a couple of days and hope that the situation will improve in a week," said Kothari.

The land locked desert states power requirement is mainly met by the coal based thermal power plants. The Kota super thermal power plants have a total capacity to produce 1240 MW of power while ranking among the best thermal power plants in India, the six units Suratgarh Super Thermal power plant with a total installed capacity of 1500 mw caters to major demand for power in the state.