India's thermal plants continue to reel under coal shortages

More than half of India's 89 thermal power stations monitored by the Central Electricity Authority are struggling with severe coal shortages.

An alarming 46 out of the 89 monitored TPPs as of January 11, 2011 were running on critical stock, wherein operations can be supported for less than seven days.

The standard coal stock for any power plant ranges from 21 to 30 days.

Furthermore, the coal stock situation at 21 TPSs is super critical is expected to last less than 4 days.

These encompass super thermal power plants such as the 2,000 MW Rihand STPS, the 2,100 MW Ramagundem STPS, and the 3,260 MW Vindhyachal power plant.

Majority of these thermal stations are plagued with less receipt of coal from state-owned Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries, which blamed the shortfalls on low or no imports, unloading constraints and high turn around time of rakes between the power stations and coal blocks.