60 power projects have less than one week's coal stock

New Delhi: More than half the country’s 103 thermal power plants are struggling with less than a week’s stock of coal at their disposal, says latest official data.

According to the latest data by Central Electricity Authority (CEA), 60 coal-based power plants have critical fuel stock position with less than seven days of raw material.

Of the 60 power stations with less than seven stocks, 37 generation plants have fuel for less than four days.

As per the reasons given by CEA for the stock situation, it is mainly due to low supplies by Coal India and its subsidiaries.

Country’s largest power producer NTPC is the worst sufferer with nil stocks at five thermal plants.

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As per the official data, coal stock position at the state-run company’s Badarpur (Delhi), Tanda & Unchahar (Uttar Pradesh) and Vindhayachal (Madhya Pradesh) is nil.

According to a company official NTPC is consuming the coal on a daily basis at these five plants but does not have enough fuel to store.

Earlier this week, there were reports of power distribution companies complaining about shortage in electricity supply by NTPC.

NTPC had said that the fuel shortage was known to discoms and notices were given to them in advance about the problem.

The company had said that it is supposed to communicate with the distribution companies or transmission companies only on the planned outages, which is recorded in the monthlymeetings of the Regional Load Despatch Centre.

The stock reserves have worsened as compared to last month. On September 8, 54 power stations recorded less than a week’s stock at their plants of which 28 generating stationshad less than four days of stockpiles.

PTI