CIL's coal production up by 6.4 pct during April-June 2008

New Delhi, Aug 12 (UNI) Coal production in Coal India Ltd (CIL) was up by 6.4 per cent during April-July 2008 compared to the same period last year despite severe constraints on account of unprecedented rains, frequent law and order problems and transport bottlenecks.

Moreover, CIL's overall supply to the power sector grew by 3.4 per cent during this period against the same period last year.

This was brought out during a review by Minister of State for Coal Santosh Bagrodia of the production and dispatch performance of coal companies, especially that to power sector. Coal Secretary H C Gupta, senior ministry officials and the CMDs of the coal companies were also present.

The performance review took stock of present production trends and initiatives and strategies initiated by the coal companies to meet the ever-growing demand for coal, both in the short term and long term. The power sector's requirements came up for review along with the measures introduced to tone up dispatches to the important cement and sponge iron sectors.

Coal is being supplied to regulated power utilities, whose present installed capacity is about 68,950 MW.

Both CIL and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd achieved 98.7 per cent of AAP dispatch targets to power sector utilities.

In fact, in the case of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) plants, which are operating at relatively high Plant Load Factor (PLF), CIL has achieved 106 per cent of dispatch target up to July 2008. Thus, companies are also carrying vendible coal stock of about 36 million tonnes (MT) even after liquidating 11.5 MT of stocks in the past 4 months.

During the review, it was observed that there has been a coal based thermal capacity addition of about 800 MW during April-July 2008. As per the report of CEA, while there has been overall increase of 2.5 per cent in generation during this period, coal-based generation had shown a five per cent over corresponding period last year. No generation loss has been reported in the monthly Energy Generation Report for July 2008 on account of coal shortage. The coal companies have sufficient pithead stocks to meet the "normative requirement" of the power plants provided, issues relating to infrastructural constraints, wherever they exist and availability of appropriate evacuation arrangements are sorted out. The power plants would also be required to plan and expedite their imports as per the target for meeting the blending and stock building requirement as envisaged by the Ministry of Power.

CIL is required to supply a planned target of 292.50 MT to power utilities in 2008-09, which is around 12 MT more than the quantity supplied in 2007-08. During April-July 2008, CIL has already supplied 3 MT more than same period last year. At this rate, CIL is confident of achieving its target of coal supply to power utilities in 2008-09.

In July, coal dispatch has been 8.5 per cent more than July 2007. In case of the power sector it was 11 per cent.

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