Union power secretary Alok Kumar, on August 29, 2021, reviewed a report by the Core Management Team (CMT). The team, comprising representatives from the Union ministry of power, Coal India Ltd, Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and Indian Railways, is working on modalities to improve the coal stock position at thermal power generation units.
The report of the CMT contains the following highlights:
- The regulation of coal to the power plants having more than 15 days’ stock, would free up around 1.77 lakh tonnes of coal from 26 stations. This coal has been redistributed to the plants having super critical and critical coal stocks at power plants.
- NTPC’s 2×800-mw Darlipali thermal power plant will source coal from the captive mine of Odisha Coal & Power Ltd (OCPL). Incidentally, Unit-2 of NTPC Daralipali will achieve commercial operation, effective September 1, 2021.
- Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) would be clearing dues to the tune of Rs.1,200 crore to different CIL subsidiaries within the first week of September 2021. This will augment coal supply to different plants of DVC. This would ramp up DVC’s overall plant load factor (PLF) to 90 per cent from the current 61 per cent.
- The 1,000-mw Kudankulam nuclear power station of NPCIL would be back on generation mode before September 2, 2021. This nuclear power generation will reduce coal-fired electricity, resulting in lesser coal demand.
- Around 6,000 mw worth of coal-fired power generation capacity at Mundra, designed on imported coal, have around 30 days of coal stock. However, these plants are not supplying power due to PPA-related issues. The power ministry is scheduled to meet on August 30, 2021 to resolve the issues. If resolved, these power plants can resume generation, thereby reducing the requirement for domestic coal.
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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, a government release said.
