Lok Sabha Question No. 780 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-02
Subject: Coal Supply to Power Plants
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Ramesh Bidhuri

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.780

## ANSWERED ON 02.12.2021

## COAL SUPPLY TO POWER PLANTS

## 780. SHRI RAMESH BIDHURI:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether power plants of the country are facing   shortage  of  supply  of  coal;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefore; and
- (c) the  steps  taken  by  the Government  to ensure uninterrupted  supply  of  coal  to power  plants?

## A N S W E R

## THE MINISTER OF POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY

(SHRI  R.K. SINGH)

- (a) & (b) : The  coal stocks available with the linkage based  136  power  plants monitored on a daily basis in Central Electricity Authority (CEA) were 28.9 MT (sufficient for 15 days) as on 31.03.2021, which got increased to 31.1 MT (sufficient for 17 days) as on 16th June, 2021. However, with increased demand, some interruption in supply of coal by coal companies mainly due to heavy rains and increase in the prices of the imported coal, the coal stocks at the power plants got depleted to 7.2 MT (sufficient for 4 days) as on  8th  October,  2021.  Subsequently,  with  the  concerted  efforts  of  Ministry  of  Power (MoP), Ministry of Coal (MoC), Ministry of Railways, CEA and Coal India Limited (CIL), the coal stocks have started increasing and have now reached 18.958 MT (sufficient for 9.5 days) as on 26th November, 2021.
- (c) : Various  steps  that  have  been  taken  to  alleviate  the  coal  shortage  and  to meet the demand in the country are as follows:
- i. In order to address the issues of coal supplies to power sector, an Inter-Ministerial Sub Group comprising of representatives from Ministries of Power, Coal, Railways, Central  Electricity  Authority  (CEA),  Coal  India  Limited  (CIL)  /Singareni  Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) meets 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  critical  coal  stocks position in power plants.
- ii. Ministry  of  Power  has  also  constituted  a  Core  Management  Team  (CMT)  with members from MoP, Railways, CEA, CIL, NTPC, DVC and 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.

……….2.

- iii. Further, based on the decision of the Government, CIL has offered about 5.2 Million Tonnes  additional  coal  from  its  various  subsidiaries  to  State/Central  Gencos  for lifting through Rail Cum Road (RCR)/ Road mode.
- iv. Recently, an Inter-Ministerial Committee comprising of Secretary (Coal), Secretary (Power),  Secretary  (MoEF&CC)  and  Chairman,  Railway  Board  has  been  set  up  to finalise  the  demand  in  advance,  review  the  situation  and  take  corrective  action with regard to ensuring adequate coal supply to power plants in the country.
- v. Revised  coal  stocking  norms  have  been  formulated  by  CEA  mandating  the  coal stock of 17 days at pit head stations and 26 days at non-pit head stations to be maintained by power plants from February to June every year.

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