Lok Sabha Question No. 74 (STARRED), answered on 2017-12-20
Subject: Coal Linkage and Supply to Thermal Power Plants
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: RAVNEET SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.74 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2017

## Coal Linkage and Supply to Thermal Power Plants

## *74. SHRI RAVNEET SINGH:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) whether coal linkage and supply to various thermal power plants in the country are being monitored by the Government and if so, the details of the coal requirement raised by the plants against the actual quantity supplied to the thermal power plants during the last three years, State-wise;
- (b) whether adequate quantum of coal is not being supplied as per requirements of the plants and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  undertaken  any  study  to  ascertain  the  primary reason  for  such  shortage  along  with  corrective  measures  to  be  taken,  if  so,  the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) whether the Government has evaluated the number of days that the plants have been shut down as a result of non-availability of coal along with the loss incurred as a  result  of  such  shut  downs  during  the  said  period  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof, plant-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF COAL IN THE MINISTRY OF COAL AND RAILWAYS

## (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL )

A statement is laid on the table of the House.

## Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No.74 for answer on 20.12.2017 asked by Shri Ravneet Singh.

(a) & (b): Based on the long-term Linkage granted by Standing Linkage Committee, Fuel  Supply  Agreements  are  executed  between  Power  Companies  and  Coal Companies.  Based  on  the  Annual  Contract  Quantity,  coal  supply  is  made  by  the Coal  Companies  to  the  Power  Stations.   In  addition  to  the  monitoring  mechanism available  at  coal  companies  and  CIL,  coal  supplies  to  Power  Utility  sector  is monitored regularly by an inter-Ministerial Sub-Group comprising representatives of Ministry  of  Power,  Ministry  of  Coal  and  Ministry  of  Railways  constituted  by  the Infrastructure  Review  Committee  of  Cabinet  Secretariat. This  Sub-Group  takes various operational decisions for meeting any contingent situations relating to Power sector  including  critical  coal  stock  position  for  power  plants.  Information  regarding coal supplied by CIL and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) to the Power Plants against Annual Contracted Quantity state-wise for the last three years is being collected and will be laid on the Table of the House.

(c):  The  Government  has  not  undertaken  any  studies  in  this  regard.  However, Central Electricity Authority has stipulated the normative coal stock to be maintained by every Thermal Power Plant. In the assessment of Ministry of Coal, there would be no  shortage  of  coal  for  power  generation  if  every  power  plant  maintains  the normative coal stock as stipulated.

(d):  While  Government  has  not  done  any  evaluation  of  number  of  days  that  the plants have been shut down as a result of non-availability of coal, there has been 9% growth  in  coal  dispatch  by  CIL  during  the  period  April  to  December,  2017  as compared  to  despatch  during  the  same  period  of  2016-17.  This  increased  coal supply  has  been  mainly  responsible  for  the  4.7%  increase  in  coal  based  power generation.  This  increased  domestic  coal  based  power  generation  coexists  with 4.59% reduction in power generation by imported coal based power plants of private sector.

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