(a): the salient problems being faced by the coal sector in India;
(b): whether the quality of domestic coal is deteriorating gradually and becoming unfit for power generation; and
(c): if so, the steps that Government plans to take in this regard given that India faced a low coal supply for generating electricity recently?
MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, COAL AND MINES
(SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)
(a): The major challenges of supply of coal during the current fiscal are as under:
i. Un-seasonal and extended Rainfall in the coal bearing areas.
ii. Surge in Covid-19 cases/ State Lockdown during the second and third wave of Covid pandemic in India.
iii. Non-Payment of commensurate Coal value along with huge outstanding dues by Power Sector consumers.
iv. Frequent Labour/ Industrial Relation (IR) issues in the Coal fields.
v. Land acquisition issues.
(b): The grade conformation of the coal supplies to power utilities and weighted average Gross Calorific Value (GCV) of coal during the last two years has improved as appended below. Besides, Plant Load Factor (PLF) of power plants has also increased during this period.
Year Grade conformity in terms of dispatched coal to power utilities (%) Weighted average GCV of coal dispatched from CIL Subsidiaries to power utilities
(GCV in Kcal/Kg) Plant Load Factor (PLF) of Thermal power plants as per Ministry of Power website Specific coal consumption (SPCC)
2020-21 62.8 4102 53.37 0.65
2021-22 (Till Dec’ 21) 64.5 4230 57.16 0.65
(c): There is no shortage of supply of coal from Coal India Limited (CIL) sources, being the single largest supplier of domestic coal in India. CIL has provided coal supplies to the tune of 532.41 Million tonnes (MT) during the current fiscal (upto 26th January ‘22), in comparison to last year same period figures of 453.98 MT achieving a growth of about 17%.
Moreover, in the current fiscal, against the pro-rated demand of 439.37 MT by Central Electricity Authority (CEA) (upto 26th January ‘22), CIL has supplied coal to the tune of 432.90 MT (upto 26th January’22) to the power sector, thereby achieving a materialization of about 99% in comparison to last year same period figures of 351.57 Million tonnes, achieving a growth of 23% over last year same period.
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