New Delhi: Minister for Coal Pralhad Joshi told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that there is coal available for the power sector and there is no shortage. He added that the during Q1 of FY2022-23, the Railways has transported an average of 434 rakes per day, including both domestic and imported coal, to the power sector, which is about 31 percent more than the corresponding period of the last year. Coal India Limited (CIL), the largest supplier of coal in the country, has dispatched 152.49 MT of coal to the power sector in the first quarter of the current fiscal, surpassing all the previous highs of the same period and achieving a growth of 19 percent over the same period last year, said Joshi.
"CIL has already started building stock at its railway sidings along with Good shed and private Washery sidings and ports (CIL sidings: 1.82 MT, Good Shed: 1.45 MT, Pvt. Washery: 0.95 MT & Port: 1.39 MT, Total: 5.61 MT) to facilitate adequate supply for power sector," Joshi told the Lok Sabha.
While stating that there is no shortage of coal for the power sector, the minister said that power plants monitored by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) have coal sufficient for 10 days. In addition, coal stock available with CIL and SCCL is around 43.83 MT.
"The coal stock available at power plants, monitored on a daily basis in Central Electricity Authority (CEA), increased from 25.60 Million Tonnes (MT) as on 31.03.2022 to 28.06 MT as on 13.07.2022, which is sufficient for 10 days at 85% PLF (Plant Load Factor). Further, the coal stock available in mines of CIL and SCCL is 43.83 MT, as on 13.07.2022. As such, there has been no shortage of coal for power utilities. However, Government has taken several steps to ensure sustainable and uninterrupted coal supply to utilities to meet the country's power demand," the minister said.
Joshi said that for the current year, CIL has committed to dispatching coal to the tune of 700 MT, out of which 565 MT would be provided to the Power Sector. During the current year, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has informed to supply 57.8 MT of coal to the power sector.
PSU Watch had earlier reported that the Ministry of Power has projected a demand of 784.6 MT for the power sector in 2022-23. Sources had told PSU Watch that the Ministry of Coal had committed to supplying 742 MT of coal, out of which 565 MT of coal for the power sector would come from CIL, 120 MT would come from captive mines, while 57 MT would come from Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL). The rest of the requirement will have to be met through imports.
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