Coal news and updates

Half of India’s power plants have less than 7 days of coal stocks

Power minister Piyush Goyal says supply short due to factors like less lifting by plants through captive modes and logistical constraints of railways


Nearly half of the country’s coal- based power plants are facing fuel shortages and had stocks to last less than seven days as of July end, the Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday.

“As on 30 July, 2014...46 thermal power plants (TPPs) were having a critical coal stock of less than seven days, out of which 23 TPPs were having super critical coal stock of less that 4 days,” power minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

The minister said the Indira Gandhi super thermal power plant in Haryana, the Rajpura and Ropar power plants in Punjab, and the Suratgarh plant in Rajasthan are among the power plants affected by coal shortages.

The supply has been short due to factors like less lifting by TPPs through captive modes and logistical constraints of the railways, Goyal said.

With a view to monitoring coal supplies to the power sector, he said the government has constituted a sub-group comprising representatives of ministries like power and coal.

“This sub-group takes various operational decisions for meeting any contingent situations relating to the power sector including critical coal stock position,” Goyal said.

Source: www.livemint.com