Lok Sabha Question No. 2472 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-05
Subject: Shortage of Fuel Supply
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Kuruva Gorantla Madhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2472 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.03.2020

## SHORTAGE OF FUEL SUPPLY

## 2472. SHRI KURUVA GORANTLA MADHAV:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  import  coal  to  meet  the  shortage  of  fuel supply and if so, the details thereof along with the names of the countries from which it is being imported since the last three years;
- (b) the measures taken/to be taken to overcome the challenges in fuel supply;
- (c) the distribution details of the imported coal to the States during the said period; and
- (d) the  other  steps  to  be  initiated  or  reforms  planned  by  the  Government  for  the modernization of power sector?

## A N S W E R

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  POWER,  NEW  &  RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

( SHRI  R.K. SINGH)

(a) : As per the current import policy, coal is kept under Open General License (OGL) and consumers are free to import coal from the source of their choice as per their contractual prices on payment of applicable duty.

Power  plants  designed  on  imported  coal,  import  coal  to  meet  their  fuel requirement. However, some power plants designed on domestic coal also import coal for blending purpose to meet shortfall, if any, keeping in view their cost economics.

Coal  imported  by  coal  based  thermal  power  plants  designed  on  domestic coal and designed on imported coal during last three years and current year is as under:

(Figures in MT)

| Year                     |   Import blending |   for Import for power plants designed on imported coal |   Total Import |
|--------------------------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|----------------|
| 2016-17                  |              19.8 |                                                    46.4 |           66.2 |
| 2017-18                  |              17   |                                                    39.4 |           56.4 |
| 2018-19                  |              21.4 |                                                    40.3 |           61.7 |
| 2019-20 (Apr'19-Jan' 20) |              20.2 |                                                    37.9 |           58.1 |

……….2.

The list  of  countries  from  which  coal,  coke,  coal  product  and  lignite  were imported during the last 3 years and current year (Apr'19- Nov'19) is at Annexure-I.

(b) : The  Government  has  taken  following  steps  to  check  the  shortage  and augment coal supply to thermal power plants:

(i) Coal  supplies  to  Power  sector  is  monitored  regularly  by  an  Inter-Ministerial  Sub Group comprising representatives from Ministries of Power, Coal, Railways,  Shipping as well  as  from  NITI  Ayog,  Central  Electricity  Authority,  Coal  India  Limited  etc.  to  take various  operational  decisions  for  meeting  any  contingent  situations  relating  to  Power Sector  including  critical  coal  stock  position  in  power  plants.  Further,  a  committee comprising  of  Secretary  (Coal),  Secretary  (Power)  and  Member  (Traffic),  Railway  Board also review the coal transportation and supply on a regular basis.

(ii) Optimal utilization of captive modes of transport like Merry Go Round (MGR), Belts, Ropes to move coal to the concerned power plants.

(iii) In order to mitigate the coal shortage from supplies under Fuel Supply Agreement, coal  is  also  being  sourced  from  captive  mines  and  other  sources  like  e-auction,  MoU (Bilateral/Bridge Linkage) etc.

(c) : The State-wise receipt of imported coal during the last 3 years and current year (Apr'19- Jan'20) is at Annexure-II.

(d)  : The following steps have been taken by the Government/ Power Developers for the modernization of power sector:

- (i) The Ministry of Power had decided that 13 th  Plan Capacity addition from coal based generation  shall  be  based  on  supercritical  technology  excluding  those  plants  for which clearances had been granted  based on sub-critical technology. The thermal efficiency of supercritical units is typically about 2% higher than that of subcritical units.
- (ii) Government  of  India  is  providing  financial  assistance  to  the  states  under  various schemes  such  as  Integrated  Power  Development  Scheme  (IPDS)/R-APDRP  and National  Smart  Grid  Mission  (NSGM)  etc.  for  modernization  of  the  Distribution system.
- (iii) Renovation & Modernization of old plants to meet new environmental norms.

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  2472  TO  BE ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 05.03.2020.

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## LIST OF COUNTRIES

| 2016-17         | 2017-18         | 2018-19         | 2019-20 (Apr'19- Nov'19)   |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------------|
| Australia       | Australia       | Australia       | Australia                  |
| Belarus         | Austria         | Austria         | Baharain Is                |
| Canada          | Canada          | Bangladesh Pr   | Bangladesh Pr              |
| Chile           | Chile           | Belgium         | Bhutan                     |
| China P Rp      | China P Rp      | Bhutan          | Canada                     |
| Colombia        | Colombia        | Canada          | China P Rp                 |
| Estonia         | Denmark         | Chile           | Colombia                   |
| Germany         | Egypt A Rp      | China P Rp      | Cyprus                     |
| Indonesia       | Estonia         | Colombia        | Denmark                    |
| Iran            | Finland         | Cyprus          | Egypt A Rp                 |
| Ireland         | Germany         | Denmark         | Estonia                    |
| Italy           | Indonesia       | Egypt A Rp      | Finland                    |
| Japan           | Iran            | Estonia         | Germany                    |
| Latvia          | Ireland         | Finland         | Hong Kong                  |
| Lithuania       | Italy           | Germany         | Iceland                    |
| Macao           | Japan           | Hong Kong       | Indonesia                  |
| Malaysia        | Korea Rp        | Indonesia       | Iran                       |
| Mozambique      | Kuwait          | Iran            | Ireland                    |
| Netherland      | Latvia          | Ireland         | Japan                      |
| New Zealand     | Lithuania       | Italy           | Latvia                     |
| Philippines     | Malaysia        | Japan           | Lithuania                  |
| Poland          | Mexico          | Kazakhstan      | Malaysia                   |
| Russia          | Mozambique      | Kenya           | Mexico                     |
| Saudi Arab      | Netherland      | Korea Rp        | Mozambique                 |
| South Africa    | New Zealand     | Latvia          | Netherland                 |
| U Arab Emts     | Philippines     | Lithuania       | New Zealand                |
| U K             | Poland          | Malaysia        | Nigeria                    |
| U S A           | Russia          | Malta           | Philippines                |
| Ukraine         | Saudi Arab      | Mexico          | Poland                     |
| Vietnam Soc Rep | South Africa    | Morocco         | Qatar                      |
| Virgin Is Us    | Spain           | Mozambique      | Russia                     |
| Unspecified     | Thailand        | Netherland      | Saudi Arab                 |
|                 | U K             | New Zealand     | Singapore                  |
|                 | U S A           | Oman            | South Africa               |
|                 | Vietnam Soc Rep | Philippines     | Spain                      |
|                 |                 | Poland          | Switzerland                |
|                 |                 | Qatar           | U Arab Emts                |
|                 |                 | Romania         | U K                        |
|                 |                 | Russia          | U S A                      |
|                 |                 | Saudi Arab      | Venezuela                  |
|                 |                 | Singapore       | Vietnam Soc Rep            |
|                 |                 | South Africa    | Virgin Is Us               |
|                 |                 | Spain           |                            |
|                 |                 | Sri Lanka Dsr   |                            |
|                 |                 | Switzerland     |                            |
|                 |                 | Thailand        |                            |
|                 |                 | Turkey          |                            |
|                 |                 | U Arab Emts     |                            |
|                 |                 | U K             |                            |
|                 |                 | U S A           |                            |
|                 |                 | Uzbekistan      |                            |
|                 |                 | Venezuela       |                            |
|                 |                 | Vietnam Soc Rep |                            |

Source: DGCI&S, KOLKATA

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ANNEXURE-II ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.

2472 TO BE ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 05.03.2020. ***************

| (Figures in '000 Tonnes)   | (Figures in '000 Tonnes)   | (Figures in '000 Tonnes)   | (Figures in '000 Tonnes)   | (Figures in '000 Tonnes)   |
|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|
| State                      | 2019-20 (Apr-Jan)          | 2018-19                    | 2017-18                    | 2016-17                    |
| Delhi                      | 0                          | 0                          | 0                          | 0                          |
| Haryana                    | 379                        | 116                        | 0                          | 66                         |
| Punjab                     | 1755                       | 2108                       | 1340                       | 883                        |
| Rajasthan                  | 0                          | 604                        | 1662                       | 2919                       |
| Uttar Pradesh              | 409                        | 56                         | 0                          | 24                         |
| Chhattisgarh               | 996                        | 666                        | 94                         | 121                        |
| Gujarat                    | 26295                      | 28500                      | 25837                      | 30764                      |
| Madhya Pradesh             | 32                         | 32                         | 0                          | 414                        |
| Maharashtra                | 8976                       | 7235                       | 6878                       | 5974                       |
| Andhra Pradesh             | 6680                       | 8224                       | 8063                       | 5417                       |
| Karnataka                  | 2359                       | 3740                       | 3923                       | 5550                       |
| Tamil Nadu                 | 9418                       | 9262                       | 7847                       | 12259                      |
| Telangana                  | 0                          | 0                          | 0                          | 0                          |
| Bihar                      | 0                          | 52                         | 17                         | 64                         |
| Jharkhand                  | 89                         | 245                        | 0                          | 11                         |
| Odisha                     | 619                        | 593                        | 344                        | 735                        |
| West Bengal                | 48                         | 226                        | 407                        | 965                        |
| Assam                      | 39                         | 0                          | 0                          | 0                          |
| All States-Total           | 58093                      | 61659                      | 56412                      | 66166                      |

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