In a recent revelation, India’s Coal Minister, Pralhad Joshi, announced a remarkable 39% increase in coal stocks at both mines and transit facilities compared to the previous year. This revelation comes at a crucial time when concerns have been mounting over the sufficiency of coal stocks to meet the surging power demand in the nation.
Joshi took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the encouraging news, highlighting the robust performance of state-owned Coal India Ltd, which has witnessed a commendable 12.8% increase in production during the July-September quarter, amounting to a staggering 123.4 million tonnes. Notably, this surge follows a strong first fiscal quarter, with production standing at 175.5 million tonnes, marking a 9.8% increase compared to the corresponding period in the previous fiscal year.
“Record coal production and the subsequent coal supplies across the nation have bolstered our coal stockpiles during the monsoon season,” Joshi stated confidently. “This has resulted in a remarkable 39% growth in coal stocks compared to the previous year.”
Joshi also shed light on the impressive performance of Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL), where production has surged by 12.4% in the current July-September quarter, reaching 29.6 million tonnes, up from 26.3 million tonnes in the same period last year.
What adds significance to this development is the backdrop of surging power demand in the country, reaching a new pinnacle at 239.9 GW, surpassing the Central Electricity Authority’s (CEA) earlier projection of 230 GW for the year. On September 1, power demand came tantalizingly close to 240 GW, causing a peak shortage of 10.75 GW. In response, the power ministry has directed coal-based power generating companies to include a 4% blend of imported coal in their operations until March 2024.
Acknowledging the need to address shortfalls in domestic coal supply, the power ministry noted a gap of about 200,000 tonnes per day between coal consumption at domestic coal-based plants and the receipt of domestic coal during August.
Despite these challenges, the coal ministry, in a statement issued on September 5, assured the public of adequate coal availability for thermal plants. They reported a robust 5.8% growth in coal dispatch to the power sector during the current fiscal year, reaching 324.50 million tonnes. This reflects a seamless coal supply chain, ensuring ample coal stocks across the nation.
The surge in coal production and stocks is seen as a beacon of hope in ensuring uninterrupted power supply amidst growing demand, providing a much-needed boost to the nation’s energy security.
