Inadequate coal dispatches have forced state-run NTPC to
slash output at two of its plants in Bihar and West Bengal, affecting power
supply to parts of northern, eastern and western regions during the peak
festival season.
Output at key plants has been falling of late because of poor coal supplies.
Some 35 of India's 86 thermal stations have a coal stock position that will
barely last seven days.
Stocks at 26 of these plants are just enough to generate for the next four
days, according to the Central Electricity Authoirty. The installed capacity of
these 86 thermal power stations is 85,477 mw.
While a fault in the conveyor belt at CIL's Lalmatia mine crushers has resulted
in shutdown of two 500-mw units of NTPC's Kahalgaon. The Kahalgaon station is
built in two stages. Stage 1, with an installed capacity of 840 mw, caters to
Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal and Orissa. The 1,500-mw, Stage 2 wheels 60% of its power
to the north, including Delhi, and parts of western India. The shut units
belong to Stage 2.
“The station's coal stock is likely to get critical in the next couple of
days,” the official said. NTPC's Farakka plant requires around 27,000
tonnes per day of coal to produce 1,600 mw at 100% capacity.
CIL has been supplying only about 5-6,000 tonnes per day. The coal stock at the
station has fallen to 1.4 lakh tonnes now from 3 lakh tonnes some 15 days ago.
Source: The Economic Times
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