CEA declares 22 power stations 'critical'

If coal supply is not increased, the stations may become "super critical."

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has identified 22 of the total 74 power stations in the country as "critical", mostly due to non-availability of coal resulting in generation shortfalls.

According to official sources, the situation is such that if supplies are not increased, the power stations may also reach the "super critical" category, which means availability of coal stocks for less than four days.

The "critical" power stations are currently running on a coal stock for less than seven days. According to rules, the power stations should hold stocks for 15 to 30 days, depending on the category.

A pithead power station should hold a 15-day stock, while a station less than 750 km away from the coal mine should hold a 21-day stock.

For the power stations falling between 750 km and 1,000 km from the mine, the stock should be for 25 days, and for over 1,000 km it should be for 30 days.

Public sector coal behemoth Coal India Ltd (CIL) is trying to grapple with the situation resulting due to low coal production, targeted at around 13 million tonnes between April and September this year.

"It is true that coal supply is not up to our expectations. We are trying to find out ways to wriggle out of this crisis," a highly-placed CIL official said.

Nine of the 22 "critical" power stations identified by the CEA are in the eastern region, eight in the northern region, three in the western and two in the southern region.

The eastern plants which have suffered the most are Kahelgaon, DVC Durgapur, Bandel, Kolaghat, Bakreswar, Santaldih, New Cossipore, Farakka and Talcher Super Thermal.

Here, Kolaghat is facing unloading problems, Bandel has been accused of generating power beyond stipulation and Talcher STPS is suffering from low imports. The remaining plants are facing shortage in coal supply.

The northern plants are Obra, Anpara, Tanda, Badarpur, Bhatinda, Lehra Mohabbat, Singrauli and Rihand. Barring Tanda, which has been accused of higher generation, all the other seven plants are facing coal shortages.

Both the two southern plants "" Ramagundam and Rayalseema "" are also getting less coal supplies.

The western plants are Torrent (AEC), Vindyachal and Chandrapur. While Torrent is suffering from low import problem, the others in the region are a victim of low supplies.

CIL blames the power stations for higher generation resulting in utilisation of coal beyond the stipulated limits, and low imports. According to CIL, the power stations till date have imported only 4.7 million tonnes of coal as against the projection of 14 million tonnes made before the Ministry of Coal.

CIL sources also pointed out that rains have added further to the woes of the coal giant. About 12 mines of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) are still under water, which is unlikely to resume production soon.

Plants in the eastern region have suffered the most with Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) reporting the maximum fall in production. ECL production has come down by 4.71 million tonnes less than the target of 13.7 million tonnes followed by Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd ( MCL) of 3.62 million tonnes less than the target of 37.13 million tonnes. Central Coalfields Ltd ( CCL) and BCCL.