 "NTPC Kaniha continues to reel under coal shortage")
The depleting coal stock had forced the utility major to shut down one 500 Mw unit of the power station last week and now threatens to hit other units of the plant.
The coal stock at Kaniha has remained at 40,000 to 44,000 tonne over the last week, which is less than one day's requirement for this station pegged at 55,000 tonne.
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According to a release by NTPC, there was a shortfall of 30,000 tonne of coal during 1st to 5th April, 2013. In this period, the linked mines of Mahanadi Coalfield Ltd (MCL), a unit of Coal India (CIL) located just next door to NTPC plant, supplied 2,10,000 tonne of coal against the linkage demand of 2,40,000 MT.
The total loss in power generation in these 5 days due to less supply of coal is more than 110 million units.
In 2012-13, the total generation loss, on account of shortage in coal supply from MCL mines, was 2,450 million units. The coal company had provided 22 lakh million tonne (MT) less coal with actual supply being 151 lakh MT against the annual contracted quantity of 173 lakh MT.
Coal is provided from Lingaraj mines of MCL to NTPC, Kaniha through a merry go round (MGR) transport system and from other mines by the rakes of Indian Railways.
However, MCL refuted allegations of less supply and blamed NTPC for failure to lift coal as per its needs despite adequate availability of coal at the mine pitheads.
Said a MCL release, Talcher Coalfields, where NTPC's Kaniha plant is located, has reported 13.2 per cent increase in production from 53.8 million tonnes to 61.2 million tonnes during 2012-13. The Kaniha plant is just 3 kms away from the Kaniha OCP (open cast project) of MCL and receives coal through MGR system and railway wagons. Though the Railways had allotted almost 100 per cent rakes to the tune of 1,334, NTPC could avail only 1,047 rakes. Besides, the MGR system of NTPC from Kaniha OCP, which was planned to start functioning from 2008, has started with single line this year (2013) only. More work is still awaited to complete the MGR system.
Blaming NTPC for not lifting adequate quantity of coal, the release said, coal stock at MCL's Kaniha OCP has increased from 0.35 million tonnes to more than 1 million tonne. This has adversely affected the coal production and forced MCL to lose production to the tune of at least 1 million tonne as the company had to restrict its production owing to the piling-up of stocks.
Joining the issue, NTPC authorities said, even though NTPC is capable of transporting 24 rakes of coal from Lingaraj mine wharfwall, actual transport of coal during the last financial year was restricted to a daily average of 13 rakes due to non-availability of adequate quantity of coal in the wharfwall (loading site),
As far as supply of coal through Indian Railways is concerned, the placement of rakes is determined by the number of rakes requisitioned by MCL authorities.
They said, even if the new MGR track from NTPC plant leading to nearby Kaniha mines is ready, MCL is yet to start transport of coal from Kaniha mines to the wharfwall, as a result of which the movement of coal from this mine is yet to takeoff.