Coal news and updates

Jan coal stocks at CEA monitored plants up 13%

March 4: The stocks of coal lying with a total of 124 power plants in the country that are monitored on a regular basis by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), rose 13.45% to 18.796 million tons (mt) on the last day of January 2015 from a low of 16.567 mt on the last day of December 2014.

Increase in production by Coal India Ltd (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) and improved availability of rakes for supply of such coal was mainly attributed to improvement in coal stocks at power plants.

The increase in stock levels took place despite a fall in the receipt of imported coal by all the 124 plants monitored by the CEA to 8.281 mt in January from about 9 mt in December, the data revealed.

According to data compiled by the CEA, the stocks of coal as at the end of January were worth 10 days as compared to stocks of 9 days as at the end of December.

The compilation also revealed that the plants in all the four regions – north, west, south and east – rose in January as compared to December and the maximum increase was reported from the eastern region.

For 33 plants in the northern region, the stocks of coal stood at 3.944 mt and were equivalent to 10 days’ worth as at the end of January as compared to 3.422 mt and equivalent to 8 days as at the end of December

In the western region, the stocks at the end of January stood at 6.223 million tons (10 days) as compared to 5.404 mt (9 days) at the end of December. However, the number of power plants monitored stood at 41 in January as compared to 43 monitored in December, the data revealed.

For 19 plants in the southern region, the stocks stood at 3.551 mt (14 days) at the end of January, much better than 3.274 mt (12) days at the end of December.

In the east, the number of plants monitored in January by the CEA rose to 31 from 30 in December, while the stocks rose the maximum amongst other regions to 5.078 mt (17 days) from 4.467 mt (15 days) at the end of December.