CIL boosts supplies to thermal power plants

Coal India on Monday said it has stepped up supplies to support thermal power units, which were facing coal crunch. In August, the country had faced energy crunch with growth in hydro, nuclear and others sources declining 12%, 36% and 7%, respectively. The demand for electricity from thermal power plants went up substantially, which prompted an additional 17% generation compared to August 2016. CIL supported the thermal power stations by increasing coal supplies by 20% to 34.4 million tonne compared to 28.6 million tonne during August 2016.

Average rake loading during September 2017 grew 22% as CIL has taken it up on a war footing to shore up coal stocks at thermal power stations, raising the rake loading to 197 rakes a day compared to 162 rakes during the same period in 2016. Since September 14, rake loading is at 215 rakes. In August 2017, rake loading averaged at 173, the CIL statement said. In addition, about 25 rakes per day are being moved to power sector by rail mode through private coal washeries and goods sheds, said a senior official of the company.

Meanwhile, coal companies are planning to stock up thermal plants located in longer distance, with additional coal from producing points in a speedy manner. Coal supplies to plants located in shorter distances shall be maintained by offer through road mode from available pithead stock of around 33 million tonne as of September 16. As a result, power plants located within 60 km from the mines may take as much coal from the nearest mines as they can. The existing evacuation capacity then could be utilised to feed coal to long distance plants. CIL has urged power utilities to stock up adequate quantities at their end to avoid criticality.

In order to assuage the concern of coal-fired power plants, which are facing critical coal stocks, CIL has set up a round-the-clock ‘mission control cell’ at its corporate office to monitor coal desptach from each of its 394 mines on real time basis. “We are mobilising all our resources to prioritise increased supplies to thermal power stations,” said a company official.

Coal India Ltd