Coal news and updates

Coal stocks at Indian power plants slide 14.65% in 16 days

August 22: Coal stocks at 100 thermal power plants (TPS) in India plunged 14.65% within a period of 16 days, mainly due to lower supplies from Coal India Ltd (CIL), according to data released by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). 

As recorded on August 19, 2014, coal stocks at the power utilities stood at 8.332 million tons (mt), down from 9.763 mt recorded on August 3, the data showed. In fact, in terms of days, coal stocks stood lower at 6 days on August 19 as compared to 7 days as on August 3, data revealed.

The stocks of imported and domestic coal stood at 1.128 mt and 8.635 mt, respectively on August 3 while imported and domestic coal stocks stood at 1.024 mt and 8.332 mt, respectively on August 19.

The number of plants facing critical coal stocks position of less than seven days stood higher at 48 on August 19 as compared to 46 plants facing a similar fate on August 3.

The number of plants facing a super-critical coal stocks scenario of less than four days also stood higher at 26 on August 19 while on August 3 also a total of 26 plants faced a similar situation.

Coal stocks at the power plants, which crossed the 20-mt mark in April 2013 and hovered around that level for quite a few months during the previous year, witnessed a sharp fall this year primarily due to a host of factors, including supplies lower than the annual contracted quantity (ACQ) by CIL to a number of plants.

Tighter wagon supplies also contributed to the decline in coal stocks at various power plants in recent days as enough rakes were not received on time for loading coal, Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said recently.

ICMW had earlier reported that shortage of supplies to power plants was on account of lower wagon supplies against indents of coal companies, particularly for plants located in the western and southern regions, and transportation constraints because of restricted movement of trucks to the sidings during the monsoon.