VIJAYAWADA: Keeping the recent experience of coal shortage in mind, the State power utilities have started planning to finalise coal linkages to thermal units for the next two years. The Andhra Pradesh Power Development Corporation Limited (APPDCL), a subsidiary of the AP Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGENCO), has floated tenders for transportation of 5.8 million metric tonnes of beneficiated coal from different washeries from Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) to Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station (SDSTPS) in Krishnapatnam. It is also working towards ensuring adequate coal supplies to other thermal units in the State as well.
APGenco has floated a tender for the same along with another tender for procurement of another 5 lakh metric tones of imported coal for thermal units. Another tender for augmentation of the coal handling unit at SDSTPS, Krishnapatnam, for the existing two units and to-be-commissioned 800 MW unit has also been floated.
Energy Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy on Wednesday said the government was taking all steps to ensure enough coal stocks at thermal power plants. “Because of the global coal crisis, we had to face some issues. But, we successfully overcame them and ensured 24x7 power supply despite crisis. We are now taking steps to make sure that the thermal units have adequate coal. The power utilities have also initiated steps to import coal from other countries,” he said. “Telangana has no issues as the neighbouring State has coal mines. AP, without any coal mines, had faced some issues,” he explained.
APGenco officials maintained that there are enough stocks of coal at the thermal units for the next 3-5 days and more are on the way. According to the coal stock report dated October 26, a total of 2.07 lakh metric tonnes of coal was available at all the three thermal plants and another 1,26 lakh metric tonnes is in transit to Dr NTTPS in Vijayawada and Rayalaseema Thermal Power Plant in Kadapa.
Dr NTTPS, RTPP and SDSTPS require 32,000 MT, 21,000 MT and 19,000 MT coal per day respectively for running at full capacity. The 5,010 MW thermal power capacity installed in the State can generate 162 million units (MU) of power per day, but the actual generation stood at 64 MU on October 26 (latest report).
Meanwhile, Srinivasa Reddy issued a statement blaming the previous TDP government for the crisis in the power sector. The decisions taken between 2014 and 2019 pushed the sector into a debt-trap. He claimed that the previous regime fed misinformation to the AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC). After coming to power, the YSRC had taken steps to revive the sector, which was on a ventilator. Besides extending timely financial support, the government is also working to bail out the power utilities, the minister added.
2 lakh MT of coal at thermal units
APGENCO officials maintained that there are enough stocks of coal at thermal units for the next 3-5 days and more are on the way. According to coal stock report dated Oct 26, 2.07 lakh MT of coal was at thermal units