Coal crisis hits again, no power plant in Punjab has required stock

Coal crisis hits for the second time in months, with all Punjab power plants at a distance of over 1,000km from mines

Patiala The coal crisis for power plants in Punjab has assumed alarming proportions for the second time in recent months with no power plant having sufficient stock of the raw material.

Punjab power plants are literally left with no stock of coal, with the maximum at just over a week, against the Central Electricity Authority mandated stock of 30 days. (HT file photo)

In the private sector, the coal stock at Rajpura Thermal plant will last only 4 days and 20 hours; the Talwandi Sabo plant has coal only for 4 days and 15 hours, with the GVK Goindwal having less than two days of coal in stock. In government-run plants of Ropar and Lehra Mohabbat, coal will last only for 7 days and 15 hours, and 5 days 12 hours, respectively,

Standard guidelines of the Central Electricity Authority stipulate that all power plants located at a distance of over 1,000km from a coal mine must maintain a minimum stock of 30 days of coal at all times. All Punjab plants fall in this category.

The power demand in the state is less than 10,000 MW. In the private sector two units each are running at Rajpura, Talwandi Sabo and Goindwal Sahib. In the state sector, only one unit at Ropar, which was running till Friday, has been shut to conserve coal, as demand has lowered.

At the national-level, 91 thermal plants, of 135 such plants in all, with a capacity of 1.11 lakh MW are facing shortage of coal. Forty-two thermal plants under the supercritical category have less than five days of coal stock. The average coal stock in northern India is only for five days.

The Union power ministry has asked Coal India Limited to replenish coal stocks at thermal plants under the critical or supercritical category on priority.

Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) chairman and managing director A Venu Prasad said he was monitoring the coal situation, and was in touch with coal ministry officials to get more stock. “Power demand has dipped due to rain and thus we have shut our plants. The loading of coal has started. I hope that the situation will improve over the next few days. There is no need to worry,” he added.