ANGUL: The NTPC-Kaniha power plant, which feeds power to 17 States in the country, has slipped into a critical stage with only five days’ stock of coal left in its stockyard.
Due to short supply of coal from its feeding coalmines in Talcher, it has been forced to use its own stock. Instead of getting 60,000 tonne of coal per day to run all its six 500-mw units in full load, the plant has been getting less than 50,000 tonne.
A top official of the plant said if the supply situation does not improve within 15 days, the plant will be forced to cut down generation and may also shut down its units. “We have only five days’ stock of 3.2 lakh tonne as against 6.8 lakh tonne in last November. The power plant consumes 7,000 to 8,000 tonne of coal from the stock because of short supply from feeding Lingaraj and Kaniha coalmine in Talcher. Lingaraj mine gives us round 35,000 tonne while the rest is drawn from Kaniha,” said the official. While the daily requirement of coal now is about 65,000 tonne, the supply is less than 50,000 tonne. The requirement includes maintaining the stock.
The official also fears that if in coming days, the normal stock is not maintained, the 3000-mw plant may plunge into crisis affecting power supply to its consuming States including Odisha. NTPC sources also said in view of the coal crisis, they were procuring coal to the tune of 5,200 tonne per day from Eastern Coalfield Limited in Jharkhand which is not financial viable.
The second largest power plant in the country provides power to 17 States including Odisha which draws power to the tune of 523 mw per day. Meanwhile, a senior official in MCL said MCL has been meeting more than 98 per cent of the fuel supply agreement (FSA) to NTPC-Kaniha power plant. The NTPC is being offered coal from Ib valley coalfield to meet the shortage, he added.