Enough coals for Punjab thermal plants

Yogindra mohan
Patiala

Though power generation in the country is suffering due to coal constraints at eight thermal plants, Punjab has nothing to worry as of now. The state’s thermal plants have sufficient coal stock, while in the adjoining Haryana the thermal plants at Panipat and Khedar have limited coal stocks. According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) report, there are 32 thermal plants in the country which come under super critical category with coal stock of less than four days. Out of these, eight thermal plants with capacity of more than 9100 MW have no coal stocks. They are generating power on the basis of daily receipt of coal. The zero stock thermal plants are Obra, Singrauli, Vindhyachal, Mejia, Kodarma Durgapur, Bakreshwar and Rajghat. The total capacity of these plants is more than 9100 MW.

For Durgapur and Koderma the coal supply is yet to start. At Vindhyachal coal linkage is less than its requirements.

The report says thermal plants in Bathinda and Ropar districts in Punjab have adequate coal stock.

It may be mentioned that Coal India has been dispatching 127 rakes everyday for thermal plants across the country. After the workers strike is over and the withdrawal of monsoon, there has been improvement on the coal movement front.

During September the coal requirement of 31.5 million tonne was estimated. However, only 24.9 million tonne of coal was made available to the thermal power station. As on October 26, 47 thermal power stations had critical stock including 32 stations with super critical stock, that is, the stock for less than four days. The main reasons for coal shortages are inadequate receipt of coal and transportation problems.

As per CEA monthly report, during the current financial year 2011-12, the anticipated gap between the requirement and availability of domestic coal was estimated around 54 million tonne, out of which 35 million tonne was to be met through the import of coals.