Coal news and updates

Sharp fall in April-January PLF of Indian power plants

Despite higher coal availability, the plant load factor (PLF) of coal-fired Indian power plants that are monitored by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) declined sharply during the first 10 months (April-January) of 2015-16.

According to CEA data, the PLF of coal-fired power plants during the period fell to 61.56% from a high of 64.18% during the corresponding period of 2014-15.

Not only coal-fired plants, the PLF of lignite-fired as well as nuclear plants also declined during the period.

While the PLF of lignite-fired plants fell to 69.38% during the first 10 months of 2015-16 from 74.05% in 2014-15, that of nuclear plants declined to 72.58% from a high of 78.74% during the corresponding period of the previous financial year.

In January 2016, the PLF of coal-fired plants fell to 62.83% from 64.34% in January 2015. Lignite-fired plants’ PLF fell to 74.20% in January 2016 from a high of 77.59% in the same month of 2015.

The PLF of nuclear-fired plants in January 2015 fell to 70.66% from a high of 74.67% last year.