(a) the details of the total output of India‘s thermal power plants during the last two years, month and State-wise;
(b) whether the Government has noticed any shortage of coal supply to power plants during the last twelve months;
(c) if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
(d) whether the Government has taken any steps to increase the coal supply to power plants; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY
(SHRI R.K. SINGH)
(a) : Details of power generation from thermal power plants in the country, Month-wise and State-wise, during the last two years & current year (up to Oct’21) are enclosed at Annexure-I.
(b) & (c) : The coal stock available with the coal based power plants being monitored in Central Electricity Authority (CEA) was 41.6 Million Tonnes (MT) as on 30th November 2020, which decreased to 31.9 MT as on 31st March 2021. Further, with increased generation and some interruption in supply of coal by coal companies mainly due to heavy rains and increase in prices of imported coal, the coal stock at the power plants depleted to about 11.4 MT as on 30.09.2021. Subsequently, with the concerted efforts of Ministry of Power (MoP), Ministry of Coal (MoC), Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Coal India Limited (CIL) & Railways, the coal stock has started increasing and has now reached about 20.98 MT as on 05.12.2021, which is sufficient to run the plants for an average of 10 days. Further, during 2021-22 (Apr’21-Nov’21), the coal based generation in the country has increased by about 16.1% as compared to same period last year and 5.1% as compared to same period during 2019-20. Thus, though the coal stock had depleted during some months, the coal based generation has improved vis-à-vis same period in previous years and now the stock has also improved. Thus, as such, there is no shortage of coal in thermal power plants of the country. The coal stock position of coal based thermal power plants in the country during last twelve months (Nov’20 to Nov’21) is enclosed at Annexure-II.
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(d) & (e) : 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, 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.
(ii) Ministry of Power has 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.
(iii) To help the power plants in enhancing their coal stock, CIL in Oct’21 has offered about 5.2 Million Tonnes coal from its various subsidiaries to State/Central Gencos for lifting through RCR/Road mode.
(iv) Revised coal stocking norms have been mandated 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 through February to June every year.
(v) Recently, an Inter-Ministerial Committee comprising of Secretary (Coal), Secretary (Power), Secretary (MoEF&CC) and Chairman, Railway Board has been set up to review the situation and ensure adequate supply to power plants in the country.
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