Coal news and updates

Coal stocks at power plants increase by 6.73% w-o-w

December 15: Buoyed by the increase in domestic coal production and improvement in despatches, coal stocks at 100 thermal power plants (TPS) across India rose by almost 6.73% as on December 11 as compared to that recorded in 100 power plants as on December 3, 2014, according to data released by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

Coal stocks at 100 power plants of the country stood at 11.865 million tons (mt), up from 11.117 mt recorded at 100 plants on December 3.

In fact, there has been a steady increase in coal stock over the past few weeks. Coal stock at power plants stood 10.525 mt (at 103 plants) on November 26, 9.593 mt on November 16 and 8.375 mt on November 2, the data showed.

Also, in terms of days, there was an improvement as the plants reported 8 days of stock on December 11, higher than 7 days both on December 3 and November 26, 6 days on November 16 and 5 days on November 2, the data revealed.

Stocks of imported and domestic coal were at 1.509 mt and 10.356 mt, respectively on December 11 whereas the stocks of imported and domestic coal stood at 1.449 mt and 9.668 mt, respectively on December 3. These stocks stood at 1.227 mt and 9.298 mt, respectively on November 26, and at 1.103 mt and 8.490 mt, respectively on November 16. On November 2, these stocks stood at 0.836 mt and 7.539 mt, respectively.

The change in the overall coal stocks situation also affected the number of plants facing a critical coal stocks situation of less than four days, the CEA data revealed.

The number of plants facing critical coal stocks position of less than seven days stood at 45 on December 11, down from 53 on December 3. The number stood at 52 on November 26 and at 53 on November 16. On November 2, this was reported as 61, as per data made available by CEA.

However, the number of plants facing a super-critical coal stocks scenario of less than four days increased slightly to 28 on December 11 from 27 on December 3. This number stood at 34 both on November 26 and November 16, and 35 on November 2.