Coal ministry says coal stocks ‘adequate’ after power ministry flags shortfall
Coal India Limited stood at 45.33 MT as of August-end, registering a year-on-year growth of 45.66%. "This higher coal stock position indicates commitment of maintaining an ample supply of coal by the ministry of coal and highlights effective stock management strategies and operational efficiency," the ministry said.
The statement from the coal ministry comes after the union power ministry on 1 September directed all power generating companies (gencos) to blend 4% imported coal till March 2024. Earlier, on 9 January, gencos had been asked to blend 6% imported coal till September in order to meet high demand during the summer.
The power ministry in its letter of 1 September had said that despite the increase in domestic coal supply during the first quarter of FY24, it fell short of meeting the requirement. In August, the gap between coal consumption at these domestic coal-based plants and the receipt of domestic coal was about 200,000 tonne per day, it had said.
“The gap was partly made up with import of coal without which coal stock would have declined to critical levels," the letter to gencos had said. The peak power demand in the country has reached a new record of 239.9 GW, against the Central Electricity Authority’s (CEA) estimate of 230 GW this year.
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