Lok Sabha Question No. 4830 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-31
Subject: Acute Shortage of Coal
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Sanjeev Kumar Singari, Beesetti  Venkata Satyavathi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4830 ANSWERED ON 31.03.2022

## ACUTE SHORTAGE OF COAL

4830. DR. SANJEEV KUMAR SINGARI: DR. BEESETTI VENKATA SATYAVATHI:

Will the Minister of POWER

be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that due to low coal production and imports, there is an acute shortage of coal in thermal power plants in the country;

(b) if so, the details of measures taken to ensure smooth functioning of thermal power plant so that there is no electricity crisis;

- (c) whether steps have been taken to meet the demand of 70,000 tonnes of coal by Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGENCO) for its thermal power plants; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## A N S W E R

THE MINISTER OF POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY

(SHRI R.K. SINGH)

(a) & (b) : The  domestic  coal  production  by  Coal  India  Limited  (CIL)  and  Singareni Colliery Company Ltd (SCCL) during April, 2021 to February, 2022 was about 601 MT as against 559 MT during the same period last year, thus an increase of about 7.5%. Further, the receipt of coal from captive coal mines has also increased to about 64.1 MT during April, 21 to February, 22 as against 44.9 MT during same period last year. Therefore, the lower  import  during  current  year  (24.2  MT  during  Apr'21  to  Feb'22  as  against  42.4  MT during  the  same  period  last  year)  has  been  compensated  by  domestic  sources  and  the thermal power plants could meet their requirement of coal.

The  Government  has  taken  the  following  measures  to  increase  the  coal supply to power plants:

- (i) To help the power plants in enhancing their coal stock, CIL has offered about 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 (Road-Cum-Rail) RCR/Road mode.
- (ii) Government  have  issued  revised  coal  stocking  norms,  which  mandate  the  power plants to maintain sufficient stock at all times; if necessary, by import for blending to meet any contingent situation.

…………2.

(c) & (d) :   In order to meet the normative requirement of coal (0.75 lakh tons/day) by the thermal power plants of Andhra Pradesh, the following steps have been taken:

- 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 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.

The subgroup in its meeting held on 22.03.2022 advised Mahanadi Coal Limited (MCL) and  SCCL  to  supply  10  rakes  per  day  and  7  rakes  per  day  respectively  to  Andhra Pradesh plants. Subgroup has also advised them to lift 4 rakes under RCR mode from MCL.

- ii. In  addition,  CIL  has  offered  4.97  LT  during  the  Round-1  (October, 2021) and 4.50  LT coal  during  Round-2  (December,  2021)  for  lifting  through  RCR/  Road  mode  to  help Andhra Pradesh power plants to enhance coal stock.

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