Power crisis looms in India as thermal power plants face coal shortage

With temperatures soaring and demand for electricity increasing every day, the concerns over power crisis looms large as several thermal power plants in the country, including in Karnataka, are facing severe shortage of coal.

As per the Central Electricity Authority report on coal stock, as on April 18, of the total 173 thermal power plants in the country, 100 thermal power plants' coal stock situations are critical. The CEA marks a thermal power plant critical when its coal stock is less than 25 per cent against the normal stock.

The total coal stock in thermal plants was 22.52 million tonne against normal stock of 66.72 million tonne, which is just 34 per cent against normal stock, said the report.

In Karnataka, all the four thermal power plants, including NTPC-operated Kudgi thermal power plant, have very poor coal stock and the authority has marked them as critically low. The three state government-run plants have just 1.87 lakh tonnes of coal stock, which is just 11 per cent against the normal 16.99 lakh tonnes stock.

Bellary thermal power plant has 13 per cent stock, while Raichur thermal power plant has 11 per cent stock and Yeramarus thermal power plant has 9 per cent stock. Three state- run power plants receive 60,000 tonnes of coal daily while utilising 37,000 tonnes, said the report.

NTPC-operated Kudgi thermal power plant has 60,000 tonnes stock, which is just 8 per cent of the total stock against normal stock of 7.99 lakh tonnes. To address the shortage, the NTPC will divert the railway rakes to the plant from other plants, said the CEA report.

Among private power plants, Udupi thermal power plant has 17 per cent stock, while Toranagallu (SBU-I) has 0 per cent stock and Toranagallu TPS (SBU-II) has 71 per cent stock. These plants build up stock through imported coal, said the CEA report.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting to review the situation on Tuesday night, which was attended by Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi, Union Power Minister R K Singh and Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw. Shah directed all the three ministers to work in tandem to ramp up the coal supply in all power plants.

Of the total 173 thermal power plants, 155 non-pit head (power plants away from coal mines) have just 26 per cent of coal stock against normal stock, while 18 pit head, (thermal plants close to coal mines) have 80 per cent coal stock against normal stock.

Of the total 100 thermal plants having low coal stocks, which were marked as critical, 80 plants depend on domestic coal, while 11 plants depend on imported coal, said the report.

All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) in its letter to the Union Ministry of Power said thermal plants across the country are grappling with coal shortages, indicating a looming power crisis in the country.

AIPEF spokesperson V K Gupta in a statement pointed out that shortage of railway wagons has also hit coal supply. The number of trains run by the Indian Railways per day is 415, against 453 required by the utilities, he said.

The country's largest coal producer and supplier CIL on Tuesday said it has hiked its supplies by 14.2 per cent to coal-based electricity generating plants in the first half of the current month.

Last week, the Union Power Ministry recommended the import of coal for blending up to 10 per cent to ensure adequate stocks for uninterrupted electricity supply over the next few weeks when power demand is expected to rise further.

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