Amid fears of diminishing stock at power plants, Coal India Ltd achieved 108 per cent of its annual action plan (AAP) target in terms of supplies to the power sector till August this year.
With supplies to power sector at 243.3 million tonne (mt), CIL achieved 108 per cent of annual action plan (AAP) target of 225.4 mt, progressive till August FY’23. Supplies overshot the target by nearly 18 mt, the company said in a press statement.
The company’s supplies of 243.3 mt to power sector during April-August’22 was 38.1 mt more compared to same period last year posting a double digit growth of close to 19 per cent. In August alone, CIL supplied 43.8 mt of coal to thermal power plants posting 16 per cent growth against 37.8 mt same period last year.
“Diminishing fears of coal shortage, coal stock at power plants is close to 30 mt, including imported coal, ending August’22 (till 29th). This is substantially higher than 12.8 mt of August ’21 when the stock plummeted by 11.2 mt in a month. Improved supplies from CIL helped the stock stabilising at power plants. Closing stock for the month of August’22 is a six year high barring 2020 when pandemic fuelled slowdown saw the stock at 37.7 mt,” the release said.
With a coal stock of 31 mt at the pitheads, around 30 mt stock at power plants, and a little over 10 mt at CIL’s sidings, goods sheds, private washeries, ports, captive plants there is sufficient availability of coal in the system, it said.
Production and offtake
The state-owned miner also breached its AAP target of 276 mt for total off-take achieving close to 103 per cent satisfaction. Total supplies have risen sharply to 283 mt during the April-August’22 period with a jump of 7 mt over the target.
At 283 mt, total coal off-take of the company, progressive till August’22 of current fiscal, increased by 23.6 mt in volume terms against 259.4 mt same period last year, registering a growth of 9 per cent.
CIL logged 21 per cent growth in production at 253.3 mt during April-August’22 as compared with 209.2 mt same period last year.
This level of increase was achieved despite increased downpour across all the areas of WCL and MCL. WCL on an average received 54 per cent more rainfall since beginning of June till August end during the ongoing fiscal, for a similar period of last year, while the rainfall was 57 per cent more in the areas of MCL, it said.
Amidst this, CIL’s production for August’22 posted nearly 9 per cent growth at 46.2 mt, as against 42.6 mt in August 2021.