Data from Central Electricity Authority shows that the coal shortage situation in thermal power plants has worsened during the last one year. The total capacity of the plants with coal stock of less than four days – defined by CEA as ‘super critically’ short of coal – has increased to 22,220 MW as on May 29, compared with 15,435 MW as on June 1, 2011.

 

Likewise, the capacity of plants with less than 7 days stock of coal also increased to 30,747 MW, against 25,777 MW a year ago.

 

CEA data also reveals a disturbing fact – the situation sharply deteriorated in the last one month too. On May 1, there were 13 plants, of a total capacity of 12,250 MW, that were ‘super critically’ short of coal. This means that 10,000 MW of plants became very critically short of coal in one month.

 

Two of these plants – Anpara C (1,200 MW) in Uttar Pradesh and Kahalgaon (2,340 MW) in Bihar – have no coal at all. Incidentally, both the plants are ‘pithead’ plants, i.e., located at a coal mine.

 

 

 

In the coal-rich state of Orissa, the 3,000 MW Talcher STPS plant has coal for less than four days. In the other coal-rich state of West Bengal, six plants of a total capacity of 6,050 MW have less than 4 days worth of coal.

 

Lost to repairs

 

India had lost 25,085 MW of thermal power plant capacity to repairs (“forced maintenance”) as on May 29. CEA data shows. Although, the capacity under ‘forced maintenance’ for over 15 days is given as 14,265 MW, the total capacity of plants under repairs as on May 1 was 25,101 MW- implying that as some plants became operational, some others went into ‘forced maintenance’.

 

Including ‘planned maintenance’ and ‘other reasons’, the total shut down capacity of thermal power plants in the country stood at 32, 973 MW as on May 29, compared with 35,585 MW at the beginning of the month.

 

 mramesh@thehindu.co.in 

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