Coal news and updates

 

Delhi power minister Satyendar Jain has written an urgent letter to Union power minister R K Singh about the acute shortage of coal + in the capital’s thermal power stations. Warning that the situation was dire and could lead to blackouts, Jain claimed that the current coal stock could meet the requirement of just around one-and-a-half days. Even this was depleting fast due to the growing power demand.

Jain’s letter on Wednesday said, “As you are aware the thermal generating stations in Delhi NCR — Dadri I and II, Jhajjar and Badarpur — are facing coal shortage for the past several days due to non-availability of transportation rakes with Indian railways. Since June 19, 2018, the coal stock has reached approximately 90,000 MT today, which is only one and a half days’ requirement. Normally, the stock of at least 15 days is required to be maintained by these power plants. The situation is, therefore, extremely critical. The weather condition is also not favourable and as a result, the peak load of the city crosses 6900 MW every now and then.”

 

The letter requested Singh to “personally intervene” and take up the matter with the railways so that rakes/wagons are provided on priority for transportation of coal to the capital’s power plants.

 

Later, speaking to reporters, Jain said the coal stock had been depleting quickly over the last 10 days and it was essential for the Centre to intervene. “The coal stock required every day is around 56,000 MT but the availability is much lower,” said the minister. Jain warned that though there was sufficient power available in Delhi today, many areas could start facing loadshedding if the coal supply didn’t increase.

Delhi government has been raising the issue of coal shortage several weeks now. The city’s power demand touched an all-time high of 6,934 MW on June 8, and the discoms warned then that the demand could even cross the 7,000 MW mark in the weeks to follow. The government first broached the issue with Union railway minister Piyush Goyal in May. After that, the situation improved, but, an official said, coal still remained in short supply.

 

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Source: Times of India