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Thermal plants hit as coal stocks dip
The severe shortage of coal at all thermal power plants in Andhra Pradesh is causing concern in middle of summer. The coal stocks dipped and are sufficient only for 2-3 days as against the recommended 30 days while the demand for power generation is increasing rapidly.
Amaravati: The severe shortage of coal at all thermal power plants in Andhra Pradesh is causing concern in middle of summer. The coal stocks dipped and are sufficient only for 2-3 days as against the recommended 30 days while the demand for power generation is increasing rapidly. Energy department may conduct a meeting on Friday to review the ground-level situation at thermal power plants.
The total daily requirement of coal for power stations - Dr Narla Tata Rao Thermal Power Station (NTTPS), Rayalaseema Thermal Power Plant (RTPP) and Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station (SDSTPS) is 68,000 metric tonnes, but the total reserves are only 2 lakh MTs. This situation is causing worry to the APGenco. The daily requirement of NTTPS is 32,000 MTs but the reserves at the plant is only 67,000 MTs.
The coal demand for RTTP is 16,500 MT per day but the reserve is 53,000 MTs. Similarly, daily requirement of SDSTPS is 19,000 MTs but the reserve is 81,000 MTs. Though thermal plants are recommended to maintain coal reserves for 30 days, they stock coal at least for 15 days in general.
“A few days ago, the coal stocks dipped drastically and were sufficient only for two days. Now we have the reserves at thermal plants for at least 3 days,” said a senior official of AP Genco. In fact, the demand for power is increasing during the summer.
It is estimated that 4 million units of additional power is required in April. The demand will increase in May due to soaring temperatures. On the other hand, sources said, the government is not in favour to buy additional quantity of coal more than the quantity being supplied by Mahanandi Coalfields Ltd (MCL).
In fact, the total required linkage of coal for NTTPS, RTTP and SDSTPS for 85 per cent PLF is 26.04 MTPA. But the linkage with Mahanandi Coalfield Ltd (MCL) is 17.96 MTPA only.
The actual receives from Mahandandi is only 14.49 MMT only which means the materialisation is 75.98 per cent and station PLF is only 58.06 per cent. “In fact, the quantity of coal being supplied to the state is not sufficient. The state government has to focus over the issue,” said the senior official.
“Though we were given such instructions, we are procuring coal from Singareni Collieries Company Ltd also in small quantity with which we have to close some units,” he said.
Power generation almost depends on thermal plants during the summer. On Wednesday, the total generation of power was 58.36 MU, of which, thermal was 57.349 MU, hydel was 0.896 MU and the non-conventional power was 0.025.
APGenco director Sunder Singh told The Hans India that problem in transportation of coal was also one of the reasons for shortfall in coal reserves in the state. “We had a meeting with officials of East Coast Railway on April 20 in Visakhapatnam. They agreed to allot additional racks to supply coal which may improve the situation in the state,” he said.
By K Varaprasada Rao
