Extensive Flood Hit Coal Stock at Power Plants

Coal Stock at the India’s 111 power plants have fallen to a level that can only be carried out for 11 days of power generation, according to CEA’s daily coal stock report.

In its report, Central Electricity Authority (CEA) had monitored 134995 MW of India’s 111 power plants. The power plants require normative coal stock for 21 days with daily consumption of 1.405 MnT; however, the cumulative coal stock at power plants stood 14.769 MnT as on 16 Aug’17 sufficient enough for 11 days of power generation.

Coal stock has been affected by flooding situation, as extensive rains are impeding coal offtake and delivery to power plants. According to CIL officials, coal supplies though railways has fallen to 108-110 rakes/day from 123 rakes/day, because of flooding.

The power plants had a coal stock of 30.391 MnT a year ago as on 16 Aug’16, sufficient for 22 days of power generation.

Source: CEA Report

According to the CEA report, two plants (NTPC’s Unchahar Power plant and Chattisgarh State Electricity Board’s DSPM power plant) are having a coal stock for less than 4 days as on 16 Aug’17, and have been marked as having super critical coal stock.

Besides, 2 power plants had no coal stock, 5 power plants had stock for 1 day, 8 power plants had stock for 2 days, 13 plants had stock of 3 days, and about 10 plants had a coal stock that would last for 4-5 days as on 16 Aug’17. CEA had not marked these plants as having critical/super critical coal stocks, as a result of having low coal stock due to outstanding dues, supply more than the committed quantity, or not lifting offered quantity.

Shortage of coal has forced GMR group to shut down one unit each of its GMR Warora plant at Maharashtra and GMR Kamalanga Power plant at Odisha. The two plants were having coal stock of 0.00913 MnT and 0.04332 MnT as on 16 Aug’17, sufficient for 1 and 3 days of production respectively.

Rise in power demand, has caused a surge in coal demand from power sector, however, CIL is not able to cater coal supplies due to floods, once the flood situation recedes, improvement in coal supply is expected.

SCCL Coal Production Halted by Rains:
Rains had also affected coal production at 4 of the open cast projects of Singreni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) in Ramagundam region.

Loss of 25,000 MT coal production per day was estimated following the rains, as the authorities had to flush out the rain water continuously from the open cast mines.