Union Power Secretary, Shri Alok Kumar took a meeting yesterday with Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and Ministry of Coal to review the coal supply position considering the situation of low coal stocks in certain power plants. It was decided to constitute a Core Management Team (CMT) comprising of representatives from MOP, CEA and Coal India Limited (CIL) to ensure daily monitoring. The power plants have been intimated to send their requests for priority loading & coal supply issues at a centralised email fmdiv.cea[at]gov[dot]in, so as to enable taking up the matter with the concerned authorities.

The current situation of the lower coal stocks in certain thermal power plants is being closely monitored by the Ministry of Power.  As per standard operating procedure the coal supply issues are taken up in the weekly meeting of Sub-group comprising of representatives from Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Ministry of Coal (MoC), Ministry of Power (MoP), Railways, Coal Companies and Power Utilities to ensure uninterrupted supply of coal.

It has also been decided that wherever coal stock is more than 14 days' requirements of the power plants, the coal supply will be regulated to these power plants for next 7 days. The freed up coal will be supplied to the plants under super-critical category first and thereafter critical category plants, so that an equitable distribution of coal stocks across all power plants is maintained

The enhancement of production from producing captive coal mines shall be directed to reduce dependence on coal supply from CIL.  Producing Captive Coal mines will be mapped with the inter-linked thermal power plants and coal supply to these TPPs may be reduced from CIL.

The CMT is closely monitoring the coal stocks on daily basis and ensuring follow up actions with CIL, Railways to improve the coal supply to power plants. After few days of monitoring another meeting has been scheduled to review and monitor the progress on 31st Aug,2021 at the level of Secretary (Power), Secretary (Coal) and Member (Traffic), Railways to review the situation.

The present low coal stocks in certain power stations are encountered due to various reasons including increase in power demand on account of opening up of the economy throughout the country and less generation from Hydro power plants which is currently being met by the coal based power generation. Further, the maximum peak demand of 200 GW was observed in July 2021 and now it is hovering around 192-193 GW. Historically, maximum demand is observed in the month of September.

 

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