20 Dec 2012
Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)Bahadurjeet Singh

SIX COAL RAKES WERE RECEIVED ON MONDAY AND EIGHT ON TUESDAY AT GURU GOBIND SINGH SUPER THERMAL PLANT, RUPNAGAR

RUPNAGAR: The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited ( PSPCL) is heaving a sigh of relief, thanks to the resumption of coal supply from Jharkhand’s Panem mines to thermal plants in the state.
Six coal rakes were received on Monday and eight on Tuesday at Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant here and. The coal stock at the plant is now sufficient to last eight days.
Coal has also started arriving at the Lehra Mohabbat plant in Bathinda district, where the coal stock is for 12 days. At the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, Bathinda, there is 14 days’ stock.
The coal supply from Panem mines had been hit for about 20 days due to an agitation by Jharkhand residents, due to which coal stocks had started dwindling at Punjab’s thermal plants. The loading of coal for the state’s thermal plants of P unjab had resumed on December 8 after an agreement between Panem and protesting residents.
Meanwhile, 26 thermal plants across the country are left with less than four days’ coal stock.
In its December 16 report, the Central Electricity Authority had stated that more than onethird of the 90 thermal power stations being monitored — with a total capacity of around 57,000 MW — were running at critical stock levels with coal stock of less than seven days, while 26 plants ( total capacity of nearly 36,000 MW) had less than four days’ stock.
According to the CEA, inadequate coal supply from Coal India has been cited as a major reason for the coal crunch being experienced by the thermal sector. This irregular, short supply of coal has forced several power stations to operate below installed capacities