Lok Sabha Question No. 3181 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-04
Subject: Power Crisis due to Low Coal Stock
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Behanan Benny

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3181

## ANSWERED ON 04.08.2022

## POWER CRISIS DUE TO LOW COAL STOCK

## 3181.  SHRI BENNY BEHANAN:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  any  efforts  are  being  made  to  ensure  that  coal  based  power  plants accumulated coal in anticipation of the monsoon season;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the low pre-monsoon coal stock could lead to another power crisis in the months of July-August, 2022 and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the  reaction  of  the  Government  on  the  impact  of  inadequate  logistics  on  the current coal crisis especially the insufficient number of railway carriages to transport coal?

## A N S W E R

## THE MINISTER OF POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY

(SHRI R.K. SINGH)

(a) & (b) : The  Government  has  taken  the  following  steps  to  ensure  adequate  coal stock during the Monsoon season:

- I. The  Government  on  06.12.2021  has  issued  the  revised  coal  stocking  norms, which mandates the power plants to maintain coal stock at a daily requirement of 85% PLF for 12 to 17 days in case of pithead plants and 20 to 26 days in case of non-pithead  plants,  with  seasonal  variation  based  on  despatch/consumption pattern during the year. During the month of June, the non-pithead plants are to maintain 26 days of coal stock and pithead plants are to maintain 17 days of coal stock at a requirement of 85% PLF.
- II. An  Inter-Ministerial  Sub  Group  comprising  of  representatives  from  Ministry  of Power, Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Railways, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Coal  India  Limited  (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.
- III. As per the decision taken in the meeting held under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary  on  Augmentation  of  coal  supply  and  power  generation  capacity,  a Secretary level Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) has been set up to ensure that the medium and long term requirements of coal are met. The IMC comprises of Chairman,  Railway  Board,  Secretary,  Ministry  of  Coal,  Secretary,  Ministry  of Environment  Forest  &  Climate  Change,  as  Members  and  Secretary,  Ministry  of Power as Convenor. Further, CEA provides technical support to the IMC.

.........2.

- IV. CIL has allocated about 16 MT coal on Road cum Rail (RCR) mode to TPPs.
- V. Ministry of Railways has issued an order to give preference to Power Sector for loading of coal from Good Shed Siding (GSS) and Private Washery.

(c) : The  coal  stock  available  with  the  thermal  power  plants  monitored  on  a daily basis by CEA was about 29.5 MT, as on 27.07.2022, which was about 52% of the normative coal stock required to be maintained by the TPPs. The stock available as on 27.07.2022 is sufficient to run these power plants for an average of 11 days at 85% PLF. (d) : Considering the importance of coal transportation, the Indian Railways has increased the deployment of rakes for coal loading to power houses. During,  the first quarter of the current financial year (April-June 2022), the coal loading to power sector during the period has been 434 rakes per day which is 32% more than the corresponding period of 2021-22. In July 2022 (upto 13 th ), coal loading to power sector has been 425 rakes per day which is 41% more than the corresponding period in July 2021.

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