Coal Secretary reviews the supply of the Thermal Power Plants; stocks dip with higher power generation

NewsBharati    14-Sep-2017
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New Delhi, September 14: The Coal India Limited had earlier asserted that the thermal power plants have reduced their coal intake and the production in the coal companies have witnessed irregular decrease on an account of excessive rainfall. However, there has been a sudden increase in coal-based power generation, which has resulted in dwindling coal stock at the TPPs. 

 
A review meeting was called by the Coal Secretary Susheel Kumar on Wednesday over the Thermal Power Plants in the country and the meeting was attended by the CMD, CIL and all the CMDs of the subsidiary companies of CIL. 
During the review meeting, Kumar stated that there has been growth of 17% in coal based thermal power generation, this is primarily on account of reduction in hydro power generation by 12%, in nuclear power generation by 36% and others by 7% in August, 2017 over August, 2016. Furthermore, Kumar also said that the overall cumulative growth in coal offtake is 7.2% in the current year corresponding to the same period last year. 
 
To meet the emergent situation of coal supply, Susheel Kumar issued the following directions to CIL:
(i)The coal loading through railway rakes shall be increased to 250 rakes per day by CIL;
(ii)The Ministry of Railways has been requested to position these rakes in consultation with CIL subsidiaries;
(iii)Of these, 225 rakes per day shall be supplied to the power sector;
(iv)For every power plant, one subsidiary of CIL has been assigned the role of lead company. The lead company shall be responsible to monitor and ensure that the power plants linked to it are out of criticality;
(v)A control room at CIL shall monitor the coal supply position to the TPPs on 24x7 basis;
(vi)The offer of coal on ‘as is, where is’ basis shall be made by CIL to all the power plants. CIL shall also request Ministry of Power to direct the pithead TPPs to augment coal supplies through this route.