Coal shortage may worsen in monsoon, spark power crisis

As per Central Electricity Authority’s report, most of UP’s thermal plants, as on April 22, had coal stocks in the critical and super-critical range.

LUCKNOW: A more acute electricity crisis may be in store for Uttar Pradesh this year as the backup coal stocks in the thermal power plants have started depleting in April itself, more than two months prior to the rains, state energy department officials said.

It is feared that the prevailing coal shortage may take a serious turn during the monsoon when the state’s thermal plants fall short of adequate coal supply routinely every year due to heavy rain and floods disrupting mining and transportation of coal.

“Thermal plants face coal shortage during the rains every year between June and September, but this time the coal shortage has started in April largely due to less supply from coal companies for different reasons, including shortage of wagons to ferry coal to plants. The situation may only get worse with the rains and floods, sparking a more severe power crisis in the state,” an official pointed out.

UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) chairman M Devraj, who is chairman of all other energy corporations as well, said it was true that thermal plants were not able to maintain the coal stocks as per the norms but this, he claimed, was not affecting normal power production in the state.

“Besides, we are also making all the efforts to maintain the coal inventory as per the norms by bringing coal to the plants by road also to avoid possible delays that are often caused when coal is transported by rail,” he said.

All-India Power Engineers’ Federation (AIPEF) chairman Shailendra Dubey, however, claimed that the prevailing coal shortage in Uttar Pradesh was already affecting power production, forcing the UPPCL to order emergency load shedding in villages and small towns.

“On April 22 only, the UP Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd’s (UPRVUNL) three thermal plants at Harduaganj, Parichha and Obra together lost more than 13 million units (MUs) of generation because of inability of plants to run on full steam due to lack of availability of backup coal,” he said, quoting an official internal report.

Coal stocks at critical level

According to the Central Electricity Authority’s (CEA) latest report available on its website most of UP’s thermal plants, as on April 22, had coal stocks in the critical and super-critical range.

The state-owned UPRVUNL’s four thermal plants with installed capacity of more than 6,000 mw (megawatt) together are low at 21% of the normative level they are mandated to maintain.

While the Anpara plant (pithead) had 39% of the normative coal reserves, Harduaganj, Obra and Parichha are left with merely 15%, 18% and 5% of the normative levels, respectively.

The normative coal stock is calculated based on the coal requirement at 85% plant load factor (PLF). The norm for the number of days of coal stock to be kept in the power plant depends on the distance of the power plant from the minehead.

The coal stock at the power plant is categorised as “critical” when it is for less than five days in case of pithead plants and seven days in case of non-pit plants or when the stock is less than 25% of the normative level.

Private sector

In the private sector, Reliance Energy’s 1200 mw Rosa thermal plant has only 4% of the normative coal stock though the reason mentioned in the report is not low coal supply to it by coal companies. The plant is getting the coal supply as per the payment.

Bajaj group’s 1980 mw Lalitpur plant has 7% of the normative coal stock while Lanco’s 1200 mw Anpara C is comparatively better off at 25% of the normative coal stock.

NTPC stock

Though NTPC’s overall coal stock was 55% of the normative level, the coal left in its Tanda and Unchahar thermal plants in the state were only 9% and 10% of the normative level, respectively.