Coal news and updates

Indian power cos’ Nov coal consumption dips 11% m-o-m

Coal consumption by India’s power utilities monitored by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) in November 2015 were at 44.93 million tons (mt), down 11.17% from 50.58 mt in October, as per data available with ICMW.

Coal consumption by the power plants monitored by this central agency during the first eight months of 2015-16 (April-November) were at 360.56 mt compared to 352.37 mt seen in the same period of the previous fiscal, edging up 2.32%.

This marginal growth seems to be reversing a trend seen so far of poor demand for electricity in the country as distribution companies have failed to purchase power due to their weak financial conditions.
 

Consumption of the fuel by the power plants in entire 2014-15 stood at 531.48 mt and the current trend indicates that the consumption may range around 545 mt in 2015-16 because of low imports and higher availability of domestic coal.

Despite only 2.32% increase in coal consumption, the generation of power by coal-fired plants during the first eight months of 2015-16 stood at 561.42 billion units (BU), up 6.41% compared to 527.59 BU during the corresponding period of 2014-15.

In November 2015, the monitored coal-fired plants generated a total of 69.31 BU, up marginally over 68.23 BU generated in November 2014.

Meanwhile, specific coal consumption (receipt, consumption and coal stocks, including coal from all sources) in the first eight months of the current fiscal stood at 0.66 kg/kWh against 0.69 kg/kWh, dropping 4.35% year-on-year.

The specific consumption in November stood at 0.66 Kg/KWH, down from 0.71 Kg/KWH in November 2014.
 

Source: India Coal Market Watch