New Delhi, April 8 Coal inventories at thermal power plants remained comfortable at around 55 million tonnes as of Tuesday, sufficient for 24 days of uninterrupted power generation based on the average consumption over the last seven days, a senior coal ministry official said.
The stock levels indicate "absolute no deficit" on the power generation side, coal Joint Secretary Sanjeev Kumar Kassi emphasised, allaying concerns over potential shortages amid rising summer demand.
"The coal stock at the power plants is around 55 million tonnes as of yesterday (Tuesday), adequate for 24 days of uninterrupted power generation based on the average consumption of the last seven days. So we have absolutely no deficit on the power generation side," he said at an inter-ministerial briefing on the developments in West Asia.
Domestic coal production is matching consumption levels, the official said.
"People think there is only enough coal for 24 days. That's not the case. It will only last 24-odd days if coal supply is completely stopped," the official clarified.
The official highlighted the assured support for coal off-take by Indian Railways.
With proactive planning and timely actions taken by the coal sector, adequate stock of fossil fuel has been built at the power plant well before the West Asia conflict.
"As of now, we have sufficient coal stocks available in the country at mines, power plants, ports, and transit points, and it can be made available to the consumer at very short notice. We have Indian Railways with us to help us with this transportation," he explained.
In addition to stocks at power plants, there are reserves at Coal India mines, captive mines, and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) mines, totaling nearly 170 million tonnes, he said.
"So, in all, we have almost 220 million tonnes of coal available in the country," he said.
He said directions have been given to coal companies to allocate a higher quantity of coal to state governments and ensure an increasing quantity of coal in e-auctions so that everyone is comfortable and the uninterrupted supply chain is maintained.
"This has resulted in an optimized coal supply mechanism for small and medium-sized consumers," he said, adding that the frequency of coal e-auctions has also been increased.
"Normally, Coal India holds 15-20 e-auctions per month. We are holding almost 30 auctions," the official said.
Coal India and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd have absorbed steep rises in the cost of explosives and diesel and have not increased the price of the dry fuel to ensure an affordability-focused approach for consumers due to rising input costs, the official said.
Coal India, he said, has not increased the reserve price in the e-auction. Instead, they have decreased the reserve price to maintain affordability.
Coal India Ltd accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output.