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Shortage of coal continues to play havoc with thermal power companies as 30 coal-based plants have stocks that will meet their requirements for less than seven days, according to CEA data. The 30 plants include state-owned NTPC's 1,840 Mw Kahalgaon thermal power station in Bihar. The Kahalgoan plant's stock is sufficient for less than three days due to short supply from Eastern Coalfields(ECL), the data said.     

The company's 1,600 Mw Farakka thermal power station in West Bengal has coal stocks for 10 days. The minimum fuel storage requirement of a thermal power plant is 22 days.   

Both these plants get coal from the Raj Mahal coal mines, with a capacity of 10.5 million tonnes at present and there is a proposal to expand this capacity to 17 million tonnes. And NTPC is only able to procure 6-7 rakes (nearly 3,800 tonnes) of coal through the Railways.     

"We are trying to see how it (coal shortage) can be met... Exploring options to meet the requirement of these NTPC power plants," a senior power ministry official said. The fuel is supplied to these plants through the MGR (Merry-Go-Round) system by ECL. This system cannot take more than 11 rakes a day.



Source - Press Trust of India.