State governments and power companies are asking the Centre if an aggregation agency can be appointed for the purpose of importing coal.
This prospect of 'socialising' costs by bundling expensive imports with cheaper domestic coal was discussed in a meeting called by power minister R K Singh, The Economic Times reported citing a government official.
The power ministry had on Wendesday asked power regulator CERC to allow power generators to import up to 30 per cent of the country's coal requirement until March next year, and during the meeting, stakeholders suggested if Coal India Limited could be the aggregator to make purchases easier.
The government had asked utilities to import 10% of its total requirement, or about 3.8 crore tonnes, to blend with local coal as demand was outstripping supply, adding that delivery of 1.9 crore tonnes had to be ensured by end-June.
It also warned that it would cut domestic fuel supply to state government-run utilities by 5 per cent if they do not import coal for blending by June 15.
The demand to allow more imported coal reflects the severity of the domestic shortage, which has caused the country's worst power cuts in more than six years amid scorching heatwaves.
Daily power generated from domestic coal has risen to 3,244 million units (MUs) so far in May from 2,465 MUs in the same period last year, the report said, adding that power stations had 20.446 million of coal in their stocks as of May 20.
The total generation per day through imported coal has increased to 303 MU compared in May to 211 MU in the same period last year, the report added.
(Published 22 May 2022, 06:03 IST)
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