CIL ups coal supplies to power sector to 1.73 MT/day against requirement of 2.54 MT/day

New Delhi: In the backdrop of a power crisis, state-run miner Coal India Limited (CIL) has increased daily coal supplies to the power sector to 1.73 MT/day against a requirement of 2.54 MT/day. On an average, CIL supplied 1.66 MT of coal per day to power utilities in April, which increased to 1.73 MT during the last week of April, said Coal India on Monday. According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), a total of 150 thermal power plants consume domestic coal and their total daily requirement stands at 2.54 MT. 

These plants also receive coal from Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) and captive coal mines. However, the bulk of coal supplies comes from Coal India. 

Coal India posts strong growth in coal supplies to power sector 

Coal India Limited said that it has posted 15.6 percent growth in coal supplies to the power sector in April compared to the same month last year. With the intense demand for coal continuing unabated, driven by an upward spiral in electricity generation, CIL pushed up its supplies to power plants of the country to 49.7 MT in April. This is 6.7 MT more compared to April 2021 when coal despatch to the power sector was 43 MT.  

"Average supply per day is at par with what was programmed by CIL for this sector during the first quarter of FY23," said an official statement from CIL. 

At a rate of daily consumption of 2.54 MT, the coal requirement for domestic coal-based power plants is 76.2 MT in a month. Also, power plants in India have a cumulative coal stock of 22.01 MT on May, according to CEA data.  

CIL April coal production at 53.5 MT 

To keep up with the increased appetite for coal, CIL accelerated its production to 53.5 MT, logging a strong 27.6 percent growth. This is 11.6 MT higher compared to 41.9 MT of April 2021. All the subsidiaries of CIL have registered year-on-year growth in coal production. 

MCL, SECL, NCL and WCL have significantly raised coal production in April 2022. "With higher output, CIL would is aiming to increase its despatches further, especially to the power plants in the coming months," said CIL.  

Coal output of April was the highest-ever for the month, so far, eclipsing the previous peak of 45.3 MT achieved in April 2019.  

CIL coal offtake rises to 57.5 MT in April 

CIL's total coal off-take has risen sharply to 57.5 MTs in April, logging 6 percent growth compared to 54.2 MT of the same month last year. The off-take was 4 MT more than the output of the month.  

Coal India Ltd has registered 16 percent growth in its overburden removal (OBR). The company excavated 132.8 Million Cubic Metres of OBR during the month. The same was 114.6 MCuM in April 2021. OBR is an important performance criterion that removes the topsoil in opencast mining and exposes the coal seam for faster extraction of coal in the future. it also improves the mine geometry and makes mines safer to operate.

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