Indian coal-based power plants’ inventory in December 2022 increased to 32.32 mnt, a rise of 1.39 million tonnes m-o-m. Notably, power plants’ inventory increased every month since October.
However, the quantity of increase in December was the lowest compared to the last two months. The growth in coal inventory at power plants in October and November was 2.1 mnt and 2.7 mnt, respectively.
Rise in coal consumption
The growth in inventory can be attributed to an increased coal consumption in power plants. Meanwhile, coal allocations to power plants remained almost constant.
In December, power plants received an average of 2.157 mnt of coal per day, while their coal consumption was 2.118 mnt, with only 39,000 tonnes of coal added to their inventory each day.
In November, coal received by power plants was 2.109 mnt per day while their coal consumption was at an average of 2.019 mnt per day, a daily surplus coal inventory of 90,000 t.
As per data provided by the power ministry, domestic coal inventory increased by 2.59 mnt to 27.82 mnt in December. Imported coal stock at the power plants, on the other hand, dropped to 4.5 mnt from 5.71 mnt in November.
Number of power plants in critical stage falls
The number of power plants in critical condition fell to 56 in December, down from 59 in November. This is the result of a decrease in the number of private sector power plants at a critical stage. In November, it was 36, but it fell to 31 in December.
Moreover, the number of power plants in critical levels in the state sector increased from 22 in November to 24 in December. A power plant is at a critical stage if its coal stock is less than 25% of the normative stock.
In addition, there were nine power plants out of operation in December.
Marginal growth in non-pithead plants’ stock
Pithead power plants that are within 500 km of a coal mine have coal stocks of 7.8 mnt, a rise of 11% m-o-m in December. The quantity is equivalent to the normative stock that plants have to keep.
However, coal stock at non-pithead plants increased by 3% m-o-m in December to 24.5 mnt, while the normative stock level was at 51.8 mnt.
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