Coal stock position of Punjab thermal plants is critical

Patiala, Jun 22 (UNI) The coal stock position at most thermal power plants of northern region, including Punjab, has entered into a critical phase as coal stocks have been exhausting due to less arrivals.

As per the norms adopted by thermal plants, the stock position is considered comfortable when coal is avaliable for 30 days. However, only six days coal stock is available wsith the Lehra Mohabbat Thermal plant in Punjab.

Similarly, the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal plant at Bathinda has stock that will last only 12 days and Ropar Thermal plant has stock for 9 days.

The strike by Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) transporters has triggered the shortage of coal supplies to different thermal plants run by the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) at a time when Punjab needs additional power supplies in view of paddy sowing.

According to the PSEB sources today, "On its part PSEB chairman Y S Ratra has taken up the issue with the concerned quarters, including the Ministries of coal and power and various subsidiaries of Coal India Ltd for supplying coal as per the allotted linkages for improving coal stock at its thermal plants." The CCL is required to supply 370,000 tonnes to PSEB out of a total monthly supply of 1,160,000 tonnes of coal. The strike had resulted in reduced coal supplies by 32 per cent to Punjab, the sources said.

However, they added that three rakes had been dispatched by the CCL to the PSEB thermal plants against daily linkage of about three rakes on June 8. The PSEB had received a total of about seven rakes, on June 16 and five rakes on June 17. Earlier Board had been receiving ten rakes of coal per day.

Even the Central Electricity Authority has expressed its concern on the low coal stock at most of the thermal power stations in the northern region. The overall coal stock at the Thermal power stations in India has gone down from 14.2 million tonnes in the beginning of the year to less than 9 million tonnes in the first week of June.

UNI XC-HS GT UCS1721