Coal supplies to Power sector is monitored regularly

INVC NEWS
New Delhi,

Coal supply from Coal India Limited (CIL) to power Sector in 2018-19 (till June, 2018) has been 122.28 MT which was 14.8% higher than the coal supply in the corresponding period of last year. However, the coal stock at power plants depends on a number of factors like availability of suitable coal transport arrangement, payment of outstanding dues of the coal company, scheduling of power depending on merit order dispatch position of the plants etc. Further, to meet the power demand, many generating companies have opted to divert coal to the more cost efficient power plants under the provisions of Flexible utilization of domestic coal policy (June-2016). As per the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) daily coal stock report of 29.07.2018, out of 117 coal based thermal power plants, there are 7 non-pithead power plants having coal stock of less than 7 days (critical coal stock) , 8 non-pithead power plants having coal stock less than 4 days (supercritical coal stock) and there is no pithead power plant under critical or super-critical category. The total coal stock available with these power plants is 15.8 Million Tonnes which is sufficient for an average of 11 days.

In the 1st Quarter of 2018-19, the growth in dispatch of coal to Power sector has helped coal based generation to achieve 5.3% positive growth and 101.3% of the programme. This is despite the fact that generation from imported coal based plants was 66% of the programme in the first quarter of 2018-19. This shows that shortfall in generation from imported coal based plants was also compensated by increased power generation from plants based on domestic coal.

Ministry of Power has advised on 30.05.2018 to Energy Department of State Governments to assess their requirement in respect of import of coal and plan accordingly, so that there is no shortfall of coal to their power stations and there is no loss of generation due to shortage of coal. However, considering the demand projection of power sector by CEA and production plan of CIL, no shortage of domestic coal in power sector is anticipated in coming years.

Coal supplies to Power sector is monitored regularly by an Inter Ministerial Sub Group comprising representatives of Ministries of Power, Coal, Railways, Shipping, Central Electricity Authority, NITI Aayog, CIL etc. This subgroup has been meeting periodically, at multiple times in a week, in order to take various operational decisions for meeting any contingent situations relating to Power Sector including critical coal stock position for power plants. A committee of Secretary (Coal), Secretary (Power) and Member (Traffic), Railway Board has been jointly reviewing the coal transportation and supply on a regular basis. The CIL has been advised to work out a definite action plan for higher production & off-take during the current quarter and to ensure that necessary clearances for the existing coal mines are in place which will help in increasing the coal production in the short / medium term and in operationalising the newly allocated coal mines for further increasing production in the medium term.

This information was given by the Minister of Railways, Coal, Finance & Corporate Affairs, Shri Piyush Goyal