Coal crisis: Number of TPPs with zero coal stock comes down from 16 to 13

The number of thermal power plants (TPPs) with zero coal stock has come down to 13 from 16 a few days ago, according to the latest data sourced from the CEA
Thermal power plants
Thermal power plants
  • The number of TPPs with three or less than three days' coal stock has also come down from 83 on October 11 to 73 on October 15
  • The average coal stock at 135 coal-fired power plants, which are monitored by the CEA, continues to be four days only

New Delhi: The number of thermal power plants (TPPs) with zero coal stock has come down to 13 from 16 a few days ago, according to the latest data sourced from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). The number of TPPs with three or less than three days' coal stock has also come down from 83 on October 11 to 73 on October 15, indicating that the coal crisis in India could be abating. The cumulative capacity of these 83 plants is 88.61 GW, which is around 44 percent of India's total thermal power capacity of 202.67 GW. 

However, the average coal stock at 135 coal-fired power plants, which are monitored by the CEA, continues to be four days only. 

94 non-pithead TPPs have 4-7 days' coal stock

According to the CEA data, a total of 94 non-pithead thermal power plants have between four to seven days' coal stock. Out of this, while 33 power plants have less than seven days' coal stock, 61 plants have less than four days' coal stock. Non-pithead plants are located at least 1,500 Km away from the coal mines that supply coal to them.

112 plants have 8 or less than 8 days' coal stock

Around 112 TPPs of capacity 138.92 GW have eight days' or less than eight days' coal stock. Around 28 plants have a days' inventory, while 32 plants have between two to three days' coal stock. Twenty TPPs have coal sufficient for power generation for four days, 11 plants have five days' coal stock and six plants have six days' coal stock. Only two plants have seven and eight days' coal stock each. 

The improvement in coal stock comes as Coal India Ltd (CIL) and its subsidiaries ramp up coal supplies to the power sector. State-run coal miners have been increasing coal supplies to coal-based power generating plants consistently in order to avert the crisis that has been looming over India's power sector. Coal stocks at power plants in India had dropped sharply in the last week of August on account of a sudden spurt in power demand. However, as temperatures ease in northern India, the demand for power has eased, lessening the pressure on thermal power plants. 

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