NEW DELHI: In response to Centre’s direction to the power generation units run by state governments and private sector to import coal, the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) on Wednesday asked power ministry why the big private sector plants, running on imported coal, were closed in today’s power crisis.
They said the government should clarify on how imported coal will reach thermal power stations from ports, when domestically-produced coal is unable to reach. In a letter on April 28, 2022, the ministry urged to import 22.049 million tonnes of coal for plants run by the state governments and 15.936 million tonnes for private sector plants.
“Till adequate arrangements are made to transport domestic coal to the power stations, it should be clarified by the Ministry of Power how imported coal will reach the thermal power stations from the ports,” said the federation in a statement.
“If there are not enough transportation facilities,how will the imported coal reach the power stations from the ports,” said Shailendra Dubey, Chairman, AIPEF. As per the order issued by the ministry, all thermal power stations have to issue purchase orders for imported coal by May 31, 2022, and 50% delivery by June 30, 2022, 40% by 31 August 2022 and the remaining 10% has to be ensured by October 31, 2022.
“On the one hand the ministry is pressurising the state government thermal power plants to import coal, on the other hand no instructions have been given in the letter to Adani’s 4,600 MW thermal power plant at Mundra, Tata’s 4,000 MW station at Mundra in Gujarat and Adani’s Udipi 1,200 MW plant,” said Dubey.