Coal stock at thermal plants plummets, 'critical' at 50 units
Thermal power plants across India are facing critical coal shortages, with 50 units holding less than 25% of their required inventory. While officials attribute the issue to monsoon-related supply disruptions and high electricity demand, they maintain that the situation is being closely monitored.
Why it matters
The coal shortage threatens the stability of India's power grid, potentially leading to electricity supply disruptions during a period of high demand.
NEW DELHI: Coal stocks at thermal power plants across the country have fallen to less than half the recommended level, with 50 plants classified as having 'critically low' inventories as on Sept 2 amid high electricity demand and monsoon-led disruptions in supplies, Central Electricity Authority data showed.The plants, with a combined capacity of around 224 GW, had 28.2 million tonnes (MT) of coal as of Wednesday, 48% of the prescribed requirement of 58.7 MT. The available stock is equivalent to about nine days of coal requirement at 85% plant load factor, against the normal requirement of around 19 days.The plants classified as short on coal stocks have less than 25% of their normative inventories.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in