Lok Sabha Question No. 2633 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-17
Subject: Shortage of Coal to Power Plants
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Raghu Ramakrishna Raju Kanumuru

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2633 ANSWERED ON 17.03.2022

## SHORTAGE OF COAL TO POWER PLANTS

## 2633. SHRI KANUMURU RAGHU RAMA KRISHNA RAJU:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether power plants are facing shortage of coal;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor during the last three years and the current year, plant and State-wise; and
- (c) the  corrective  steps  being  taken  in  this  regard  along  with  the  losses  being reported thereto?

## A N S W E R

THE MINISTER OF POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY

(SHRI R.K. SINGH)

(a) & (b) : No, Sir. The coal stock available with the power plants monitored on daily basis  in  Central  Electricity  Authority  (CEA)  was  28.9  Million  Tonnes  (MT)  as  on 31.03.2021, which increased to 31.1 MT as on 16th June, 2021. However, with increased demand and some interruption in supply of coal by coal companies mainly due to heavy rains, the coal stock at the power plants depleted to 7.2 MT as on 8th October, 2021. Subsequently,  with  the  concerted  efforts  of  Ministry  of  Power  (MoP),  Ministry  of  Coal (MoC), CEA, Coal India Limited (CIL) & Railways, the coal stock has started increasing and as on 10.03.2022, has reached about 26.6 MT which is sufficient to run these power plants for an average of 10 days at 85% PLF.

The  receipt  and  consumption  of  coal  at  the  power  plants  in  the  country during last three years and current year are as under:

(Figs in MT)

| Year                    |   Domestic Coal Receipt |   Imported Coal Receipt |   Total Coal Receipt |   Total Consumption |
|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|----------------------|---------------------|
| 2018-19                 |                   582.1 |                    61.7 |                643.7 |               628.9 |
| 2019-20                 |                   569.5 |                    69.2 |                638.7 |               622.2 |
| 2020-21                 |                   550.8 |                    45.5 |                596.3 |               615.4 |
| 2021-22 (Apr 21-Feb 22) |                   605.1 |                    24.2 |                629.3 |               631.5 |

It can be seen that during last three years and current year (Apr-Feb'22), the receipt of coal was sufficient to meet the consumption except during 2020-21, wherein due to Covid-19 pandemic, power plants had requisitioned less coal and utilized the coal stock available with them.

(c) : The  Government  has  taken  the  following  measures  to  increase  the  coal supply to power plants: (i) To  address  the  issues  of  coal  supplies  to  power  sector,  an  Inter-Ministerial  Sub Group comprising of representatives from Ministries of Power, Coal, Railways, CEA, CIL and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) meet regularly to take various operational decisions to enhance supply of coal to thermal power plants as well as for meeting any contingent situations relating to Power Sector including to alleviate critical coal stock position in power plants. (ii) Ministry of Power has constituted a Core Management Team (CMT) on 28.8.2021 with members from MoP, Railways, CEA, CIL, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) and Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO) to ensure close monitoring of coal stocks at thermal power plants (TPPs) and  operational  decisions  are  being  taken  in  CMT  to  augment  supply  of  sufficient quantity of coal to the TPPs. (iii) Recently,  an  Inter-Ministerial  Committee  comprising  of  Secretary  (Coal),  Secretary (Power),  Secretary  (Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEF  & CC))  and  Chairman,  Railway  Board  has  been  set  up  to  review  the  situation  on fortnightly basis to ensure adequate supply to power plants in the country. (iv) To help the power plants in enhancing their coal stock, CIL has offered 5.2 MT coal in October,  2021  and  6  MT  coal  in  December,  2021  from  its  various  subsidiaries  to State/Central Gencos for lifting through Rail cum Road (RCR)/Road mode. (v) Government  has  issued  revised  coal  stocking  norms,  which  mandate  the  power plants to maintain sufficient stock at all times to meet any contingent situation. (vi) Ministry of Power has advised power plants to import about 36 MT coal for blending during 2022-23 with a view to build sufficient coal stock at Power Plants.

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