Delay in stabilisation of new units, coal shortages and inadequate supply problems, including availability of wet and poor quality coal, have led to a fall in coal-based power generation by 2,135 million units (mu) in August.
Thermal power generation achieved a growth of 3.28 per cent over same period of the previous year. However, it was 5.25 per cent less than the generation target set by the power ministry. Against the target of 45,353 mu, actual generation by coal-based plants was 43,218 mu in August.
Even though cumulative generation during April-August achieved a growth of 5.64 per cent over same period last year, it fell short of the target by 3,274 mu (1.13 per cent). In July, generation of coal-based plants had increased by 299 mu due to 100 per cent availability of coal for the month.
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) in its report for August, said against the estimated coal requirement of 31.3 million tonnes (mt), only 27.9 mt of coal was made available to thermal power stations. As on August 31, 22 thermal power stations had critical stock, including nine units with super critical stock (stock for less than four days). The primary reasons for coal shortage were inadequate receipt of coal and transportation problems.
Growth in coal-based generation was constrained due to 89 per cent materialisation of the requirement of coal. Loss of generation of about 2.481 billion units during April-August (as per the information received so far) was due to shortage of coal.
Further, loss of generation due to delay in stabilisation of some new thermal units during the period was 4.85 billion units. However, the loss was offset up to some extent (2.03 billion units) by some of the newly commissioned units, which achieved higher generation with respect to targets set for them. The overall loss in generation with respect to the targets for the new units during the current year is 2.82 billion units.
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CEA said, during the current financial year 2011-12, the anticipated gap between the requirement and availability of domestic coal was estimated around 54 mt. Out of it, 35 mt of coal was to be met through imports, for which all utilities had been advised to take necessary action. The remaining 20 mt was the requirements of power plants designed on imported coal. CEA said electricity generation in August was 72,820 mu with a growth rate of 8.93 per cent, against 66,849 mu during the same month last year. Growth rate during August 2010 was 1.58 per cent. Cumulative electricity generation in India during April–August was 3,64,281 mu, with a growth rate of 9.31 per cent against 4.54 per cent during the same period last year.
A senior official of the Maharashtra State Power Generation Corporation (MahaGenco) told Business Standard: “The grade of coal received by MahaGenco’s thermal power stations most of the time was observed to be below the grade analysed by coal companies. This has reduced generation.
Since the grade determined at the loading end is considered for payments to coal companies, it has serious financial implications for MahaGenco. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt a third party sampling procedure which was in force before the coal supply agreement was put in place.”
Power ministry officials said the issue was discussed at length recently during the meeting with state power ministers. “The ministry is pursuing with the coal ministry to address the issue so that power plants will be in a position to generate maximum electricity.”
Gas-based generation also reported a negative growth rate of 2.85 per cent in August and 5.66 per cent in April-August, against the corresponding period last year, largely due to shortage in gas supply.
Liquid fuel-based stations had a negative growth rate of 85.3 per cent in August. Average plant load factor (PLF) achieved by gas /liquid fuel-based plants in August further reduced to 59.38 per cent against PLF of 63.24 per cent during the same period last year.