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Rajasthan’s power crisis deepens due to coal shortage, 7 thermal units shut
The Rajasthan Vidhyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (power generation firm) failed to make payments for coal due to a shortage of funds.
Due to the shortage of coal, seven thermal power units in Rajasthan are shut and the rests have 3-4 days of stock left, HT has learnt.
The Rajasthan Vidhyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (power generation firm) failed to make payments for coal due to a shortage of funds, and now the supply has become difficult as the coal mines are flooded with water.
Undeclared power cuts of 4-5 hours have begun in rural areas and if the situation remains the same, urban areas may suffer power cuts as well. Due to the long weekend on the occasion of Janmasthami on Monday, the power consumption was less by industrial units and markets, but the load would increase by 15,000 MW in normal days.
However, officials of the energy department denied any further power cuts and said it was done for the last two days as the demand increased but with the monsoon reviving in the state the demand has declined again.
A senior official of the energy department said six units of Suratgarh (250MW each), and a unit of Kalisindh are shut due to coal shortage. The Kota thermal plant is also running at 70% capacity. Another private thermal plant in Kawai (Baran) is also shut. The remaining thermal units are left with 3-4 days coal stock.
He said due to weak monsoon, the demand for commercial and domestic electricity has increased. The consumption of electricity in the month of August every year is around 20 crore units per day, which has increased to 31 crore units per day. Besides, some of the thermal plants are also on maintenance.
Rajasthan has thermal units in district Suratgarh with 2160 MW capacity, Kota (1240MW), Chhabra (1320MW), Kalisindh (1200MW), Giral 250MW (Barmer), 270.50MW plant in Jaisalmer.
Another official of Rajasthan Urja Vikas Limited, the government firm which handles the purchase and sale of power, said there has been no load-shedding as the electricity demand has declined with the monsoon. “In normal days, the electricity rate per unit is ₹6-7, which had increased to ₹20 per unit. With increasing demand and shortage of power with the exchange the national load dispatch, the Centre denied an overdraw. With an adequate supply of coal to plants, the situation will improve,” he said.
However, despite all odds, department minister BD Kalla is confident of resolving the issue in a week.
“The coal shortage issue will be resolved in a week. Under the agreement, Coal India was supposed to supply four and a half rakes, instead was sending three. We have urged to meet the gap by sending nine racks (one rake contains 4000 tonnes),” the minister said.
The shortage is because of coal mines flooded with water – the water is being pumped out and soon supply would start, he said.
As of August 1, 2021, Rajasthan has to clear an outstanding of ₹409 crore to Parsa Kanta Collieries Limited (PKCL) while ₹1375 crore has been paid. A total of ₹68 crore is to be cleared of Northern Coalfields Limited, ₹325 crore is released; ₹444.6 crore is pending for South Eastern Coalfields, ₹530 crore has been released, said the official.
The state government needs to clear a pending amount of over 900 crore to coal companies. Amid the crisis, chief minister Ashok Gehlot has released ₹900 crore while another ₹1,000 crore will be sanctioned to clear the dues.
