Coal news and updates

Coal stocks at thermal plants up 32% on year

Coal stocks at the country’s thermal power plants rose to over 45 million tonnes (mt) as on June 16, registering a rise of 31.7% over 34.25 mt in the corresponding period of last year, as per data from coal ministry. This will help the power plants to operate with high PLF amid the steep rise in peak demand due to heatwaves.

The improvement can be attributed to higher production and dispatches of coal from public and private companies.

At this level, coal stocks at thermal power plants are at their highest level. Availability of enough coal stocks is crucial as the demand for coal based power has grown by 7.3% in the current financial year compared to the last fiscal.

The country’s coal production stood at 207.48 million tonnes as of June 16, marking a growth of 9.27% from the same period of last year when the country had produced 189.87 million tonnes of coal. Of the total production, Coal India produced 160.25 million tonnes of coal, up 7.28% from last year while output from captive and commercial mines reached 33 million tonnes, an increase of 27% from the previous fiscal.

Additionally, the country’s coal mining companies cumulatively dispatched 220.31 million tonnes of coal to the power and other sectors. This was up by 7.65% than 204.65 million tonnes of coal dispatched during the same period last year.