Coal supplies to power plants grow 36 pc from September low

New Delhi: Coal Ministry on Friday said the daily supplies of coal to the power sector have increased by around 36 per cent from the September low.

The rate of stock depletion has also moderated significantly, while rake position has strengthened, the ministry said.

"Stock depletion has slowed sharply, with the daily drawdown falling by more than half from 0.243 MT per day in September to 0.116 MT per day in October. The position is therefore stabilising, although stock rebuilding is yet to commence," the ministry said in a statement.


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Rail loading has strengthened correspondingly, averaging over 465 rakes per day in October, with the 470-rake target achieved on three consecutive days, the Ministry said in a statement.

Supplies through other modes, including road, have also improved.

The ministry further said that "some recent media reports flag growing risk of Power shortages in India as coal inventories at power plants fall to low levels" and, in this context, it clarifies that the "critical stock" tag is a norm-based trigger (plants holding less than the prescribed threshold of normative stock) and is designed to flag plants early, well before actual fuel shortage or generation loss occurs.

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A plant appearing on this list is, by design, an early-warning entry and not an indication that it has run out of coal or is at imminent risk of shutting down.

Coal stock position needs to be viewed alongside the improvement since the September trough in supplies, the statement added.