45 Indian coal power plants have critical low fuel, government data shows

New Delhi: Forty five power plants in India are ​operating with critically low coal ​inventories, government data showed, as monsoon rains disrupt supplies and electricity ​demand rises amid hotter-than-usual weather linked to El Nino.

The number of plants with coal stocks below 25% of their required inventory or with critically low stocks to generate power for less ‌than three days ⁠has risen ⁠sharply from 31 at the end of July, the data as of August 25 showed.

Of the ​affected plants, 40 are domestic coal-fired plants, according to data on the website of Central ​Electricity Authority, a think tank linked to the federal power ministry.


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Heavy rainfall in some of the key coal-rich Indian states, including Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh has hit ​mining and slowed the transportation of the fuel for ⁠power plants, ‌industry sources said.

"There has been a significant (inventory) drawdown, particularly through ​August, resulting in ​stocks falling 19% from end-July levels," commodities consultancy BigMint said.

Coal ⁠stocks at power plants stood at 30.95 million tons, equivalent ​to around 10 days of operational requirement, compared with 12 ​in July, BigMint said.

The lower coal stocks come at a time when the South Asian country is headed for its weakest monsoon since 2009, with uneven El Nino-linked rainfall driving up electricity demand in parts of the country.

"The uneven monsoon has driven power demand, primarily for air-conditioning. But coal supplies are running hand-to-mouth," ‌an official at the country's largest thermal power producer, NTPC told Reuters.

"There is a need for five to six rakes at some ​plants, but we ​are receiving only ⁠half that number," the NTPC official said.

India has received 12% less rainfall than normal so far this monsoon season, leading to greater reliance on coal-fired power generation, particularly ​during the night when cooling demand remains elevated.

As a result, the power ministry has asked some of the coal-fired power plants to delay planned maintenance of units until the supply situation becomes clearer, a senior ministry official said.

The sources could not be named because they were not authorised to speak to the media.