New Delhi: Even as various states including Delhi, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and power distribution companies flagged shortage of coal that could lead to power crisis in the coming days, the Centre assured that there is nothing to worry saying ample coal is available in the country to meet the demand of power plants.
The power and coal ministries in separate statements asserted that coal availability is sufficient and that the fear of disruption in power supply is unfounded.
Union Minister of Power, New and Renewable Energy, RK Singh reviewed the coal stock position in all thermal power plants including those plants which are supplying power to distribution companies of Delhi.
“Any fear of disruption in power supply is entirely misplaced. The coal stock at power plant is sufficient for more than 4 days’ requirement and as the coal supply is being ramped up by CIL, the coal stock at power plant would gradually improve,” the power ministry said in a statement.
The minister directed that distribution companies of Delhi will get as much power as requisitioned by them as per their demand.
“NTPC and DVC have been directed to give full availability as per the requirement of DISCOMs. GAIL India Limited has been advised to make gas available from all sources,” the ministry said.
The minister said he warned Tata Power of action if they send baseless messages of power shortage to the customers. He also hit out at state-run GAIL for “acts of irresponsible behavior”.
“In effect, neither there was, nor there is any crisis. It was created unnecessarily. I’ve warned Tata Power CEO of action if they send baseless SMSs to customers that can create panic. Messages by GAIL and Tata Power qualify as acts of irresponsible behavior,” Union Minister was quoted as saying by ANI.
In a separate statement, the coal ministry said that the domestic coal-based power generation has grown by nearly 24 per cent in this year (till September 2021) based on a robust supply from the coal companies.
“It may be noted that the comfortable coal position in the country is reflected by the fact that the CIL has been supplying more than 2.5 lakh tonnes (approximately) daily to meet the demand of non-power industries like Aluminium, Cement, Steel etc,” the ministry said.
Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the Centre is not ready to accept that there is a coal crisis and its policy to turn a blind eye to every problem could prove fatal for the country.
Sisodia called power minister’s statement “irresponsible”. “Chief Ministers across the country have been warning the Centre about the impending blackouts due to coal stock situation,” he said.
“They had done the same thing when the country grappled under an oxygen shortage. They would not even accept that there is a problem. They try to prove states wrong instead,” Sisodia said.
In a year when the country produced record coal, excessive rains in coal-producing belt hit movement of the fuel from mines to power generation units, impacting power generation in many states including Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh.
Another factor that has contributed to the present crisis is power plants that used imported coal to generate electricity, have either curtailed generation or completely stopped as a spurt in international energy prices has made it difficult for them to meet the commitments to states at a particular rate.
Tata Power, which has signed contracts to supply 1,850 MW of electricity to Gujarat, 475 MW to Punjab, 380 MW to Rajasthan, 760 MW to Maharashtra and 380 MW to Haryana from its imported coal-based power plant at Mundra in Gujarat, has stopped generation.
However, after Singh’s review of coal stock position, the power ministry said the total despatch of coal from all sources (Coal India Limited, Singareni Collieries Company, Captive Coal Mines and imported coal) on October 9 was 1.92 million tonnes (19.2 lakh tonnes) against the total consumption was 1.87 million tonnes (18.7 lakh tonnes).
“Coal despatch has exceeded the consumption, thereby indicating a shift to gradual building up of coal stock,” it said.
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