New Delhi: Energy behemoth NTPC would be running its 5000 MW gas-based power stations during the crunch period in April-May, when the summer is at its peak and the electricity demand escalates.
Union Power Minister RK Singh said: “As a precautionary measure and preparation for summer, power utilities would undertake coal-based power plants maintenance well in advance.”
As a stand-by arrangement, NTPC would run its gas-based power stations during the crunch period from April to May.
The Ministry of Power has also asked Railways to provide 418 rakes to subsidiaries of coal India, GSS and captive blocks.
The Ministry of Power also plans to leverage additional gas-based power entities for addition of 4000 MW electricity generation.
“Besides this, two units at Barauni in Bihar of 110 MW each, will be made available during the crunch period,” said the Union Power Minister.
For firing the gas-based power manufacturing utilities, GAIL has assured ample supply of gas.
The Ministry of Power has also lined up additional 2920 MW capacity through new coal-based plants commissioned in March.
These measures for putting in place supply of electricity against expected demand during summer is not unwarranted.
In 2022, after India was recovering from the pandemic shock, the country faced a coal shortage and there was news of imports of coal and power outage because of the fossil fuel shortage.
At least 70 per cent of India’s power demand is met by coal-fired units. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) data shows that as of April 19, 2022, India’s power generation via thermal plants using domestic coal stood at 182.39 GW with an average of 34 per cent stock in them.
Last year of the 173 thermal power plants, 85 fired by domestic coal had less than 25 per cent stock while 11 plants ran on imported coal. The stock level of coal in major of the units had hit a critical level.
To address the issues of coal supplies to power sector, an Inter-Ministerial Sub Group comprising representatives from Ministries of Power, Coal, Railways, Coal India Limited and Singrareni Collieries Company Limited met regularly to take various operational decisions to enhance supply of coal to thermal power plants as well as for meeting any contingent situations relating to power sector.
In addition to this, an Inter-Ministerial Committee was constituted comprising Chairman, Railway Board; Secretary, Ministry of Coal; Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Secretary, Ministry of Power to monitor augmentation of coal supply and power generation capacity. /BI/
