New delhi (thestates.news) | Some recent media reports flag growing risk of Power shortages in India as coal inventories at power plants fall to low levels. In this context, the Ministry of Coal would like to clarify the following.
The “critical stock” tag is a norm-based trigger (plants holding less than the prescribed threshold of normative stock) and is designed to flag plants early, well before actual fuel shortage or generation loss occurs. A plant appearing on this list is, by design, an early-warning entry and not an indication that it has run out of coal or is at imminent risk of shutting down.
Coal stock position needs to be viewed alongside the improvement since the September trough in supplies. Daily supplies to the power sector have risen by around 36% from the September low, with October averaging about 9% higher than September. The rate of stock depletion has also moderated significantly (Figure 1). Rail loading has strengthened correspondingly, averaging over 465 rakes per day in October, with the 470-rake target achieved on three consecutive days (Figure 2). Supplies through other modes, including road, have also improved.(s-pib)
