NTPC has 2 days of coal stock left; Govt steps in

As electricity demand peaks due to sub-normal monsoon, state-owned NTPC has warned that power plants are running on very low coal stock of less than two days, prompting government to take steps to fix the crisis. NTPC Ltd has written to the power ministry raising concern over its precarious level of coal stocks that are likely to further dwindle as rains pick up this monsoon season.

While the nation's largest power producer NTPC stated that six of its plants have critical levels of coal stocks, Central Electricity Authority (CEA) said 46 out of 100 electricity generation stations in the country have fuel stock of less than 7 days.

NTPC, the country's largest power producer and also the biggest consumer of domestic coal, is the worst sufferer as 8 of its total 23 electricity generating stations have stock to last mere two days, official data said.

"We have written the letter so that Coal India gears up itself for the upcoming monsoon. Coal stock usually goes down during that period and the plants which are already running on low fuel may have to face shutdown," a company official told Cogencis.

According to information available on the Central Electricity Authority's web- site, NTPC's Rihand and Vindhyachal power plants have coal stock for only four days, while the Sipat plant has fuel to last only nine days. NTPC's Simhadri power plant has coal to run the plant for only one day while the Ramagundam and Singrauli facilities have coal for only two days. The total capacity of these six plants is 16,840 MW.

In Lok Sabha, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said "corrective" action is being taken by the government to improve coal supply, including efforts by Coal India Ltd to raise production beyond current year's targets. Power utilities have been advised to use imported coal wherever necessary. Environment ministry nod is being sought to mine more coal and resource-rich states of Odisha and Jharkhand have been asked to help transport coal out quickly.

The country has a total electricity generation capacity of 113,280 MW.