Enough buffer stocks to meet demand of thermal power plants: Coal India

NEW DELHI: Allaying fears of shortages amid intense summer and high electricity demand, Coal India said there was a buffer stock of 168 million tonnes of dry fuel in the country, adequate to meet the requirements of domestic thermal power plants for 19 days.

The company also said compression in coal stock levels at thermal plants during peak summer was a natural occurrence and around 50 MT of in-situ mine coal was readily available for quicker extraction and supply if demand necessitated.

Coal-fired power stations are expected to maintain 26 days of “normative” stock, calculated at 85% plant load factor, or the quantum of electricity generated compared to the maximum possible output at full capacity. Against the requirement of 75 MT of coal to maintain this level, total stock availability stood at 49.7 MT, or 66% of the normative requirement.

As per the daily coal stock report compiled by the Central Electricity Authority, of the 190 coal-fired plants in the country with a collective capacity of 223 gw, 24 had critical coal stocks as on May 26, meaning availability was less than 25% of the normative requirement.

India is currently reeling under an intense heatwave, sending power demand spiralling in most parts of the country. Peak power demand touched 271 gw on May 21. Coal-based power plants provide nearly 68% of the country’s total electricity requirement during the day.

Coal India Limited, which supplies nearly 80% of the country’s coal requirement, however, said stocks at domestic coal-based plants stood at 47.6 MT as on May 23, while inventory at its own mine heads was at a “comfortable level” of 113.5 MT as on May 24, 10% higher than the corresponding period in 2025.

“This level is sufficient to meet 19 days of consumption. Added to this, around 3 MT of coal is awaiting movement at transit points such as goods sheds, private washeries and ports,” CIL said in a statement.

The public sector company said around 4 MT of coal remained in transit at any point of time, taking the total coal available in the system to 168 MT. CIL said it had advised power plants with low coal availability to build up stocks in advance for peak demand periods. “As such, CIL has adequate quantity to meet the generation capacity of domestic coal-based plants,” it said.

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