Tamil Nadu’s daily coal stock availability declined from 2 million tonnes as on March 31 to 1.5 million tonnes as on July 26, according to a report of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). The stock is sufficient to run Tangedco’s power plants for 10 days.
As per data shared by Union Power Minister R.K. Singh in the recently concluded Parliament session, the stock available at coal-based power plants across the country increased from 25.63 million tonnes (MT) as on March 31, 2022, to 36.95 MT as on March 31, 2023. The stock as on July 26, 2023, had slightly reduced to about 34.97 MT. However, it was still sufficient to run these plants for an average of about 12 days at 85% Plant Load Factor (PLF), Mr. Singh noted. Tangedco’s coal stock was 0.5 MT as on March 31, 2022.
Meanwhile, as per CEA’s daily stock report, as on August 11, coal stock positions at Tangedco’s Mettur Thermal Power Station, North Chennai Thermal Power Station and Tuticorin Thermal Power Station were at critical levels.
If a coal stock at a thermal power plant is less than 25% of its normative coal stock requirement, it is marked as critical.
Mettur Thermal Power Station had just 3% of coal stock as against the normative requirement, while the North Chennai and Tuticorin power stations had 19% stock each, as against their respective normative requirements. The reason cited for the critical levels was less supply from Mahanadi Coalfields Limited and the Railways.
Tamil Nadu has the highest energy consumption among the southern States. The State saw an all-time high peak demand of 19,387 MW on April 20. On the same day, an all-time high daily consumption of 423.785 million units was recorded. On August 12, the State’s peak power demand was 15,928 MW and daily consumption was 345.834 million units.
With the ongoing wind energy season as well as solar generation availability, Tangedco might not face any issue with the decline in coal stock. As per data from CEA, Tamil Nadu’s cumulative renewable energy generation (wind and solar) in August (till August 10) was 1,328.85 million units. The annual requirement of coal for Tangedco’s existing thermal power stations (total capacity: 4,320 MW) at 85% PLF is 223.4 LTPA (lakh tonnes per annum).
In the first quarter of 2023-24, as against Tangedco’s pro-rated Annual Contracted Quantity of 4.65 million metric tonnes (MMT), Coal India supplied 4.5 MMT of coal, the Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, Pralhad Joshi, told Parliament last month.
According to the Railways, the likely increase in coal transportation capacity during 2023-24 and 2024-25 was about 185 MT, Mr. Singh said in his written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
