Coal crisis revisits Nalco

For the second time in last three months, state-run National Aluminium Company (Nalco) has slipped into acute coal supply crisis threatening the operation of its 960 MW captive power plant at Angul.

This is despite the arrival of two rakes (7000 tonne) of imported coal in last two days. The company had ordered 1.7 lakh tonne coal import from Indonesia.

According to Nalco sources, there is now a stock of about 14000 tonne of coal, just enough to feed the plant for one day.

The coal situation worsened during the last three days when the stock level came down to one day requirement instead of three days, which was being maintained for last three months. This is due to drop in supply of coal supply from Talcher coalfield of Mahanadi Coalfield Limited (MCL), sources pointed out.

Nalco’s CPP at Angul consists of eight units of 120 Mw each. The company normally operates seven units, keeping one as stand by. But since June last when the company faced acute shortage in coal supply, it has been operating six units due to want of coal.

The six operating units of Nalco’s CPP need about 14000 tonne per day. Following the June crisis, the company was receiving a supply of about 14000 tonne coal per day for major part of the last three months. But over the last few days the supply has dipped below 10000 tonne.

Nalco sources said, the company could not build up stock due to want of adequate supply. The situation particularly worsened during the last three days.

Apart from using the power generated at its six CPP units, the company is buying power to the tune of 30 to 50 MW from Grid Corporation of Orissa every day.

The authorities fear that if the coal supply is not enhanced from today, then Nalco will be forced to shut down CPP units and regulate power supply to its aluminium smelter which needs uninterrupted power supply round the clock.

The MCL authorities, on the other hand, said, they have enough coal lying at the pithead, but Nalco has to carry that to the plant. They said, the production in Talcher coalfield has come down drastically since the beginning of the financial year due to frequent stirs by local villagers and lack of cooperation from the private transport drivers.

Nalco officials said, steps are being taken to transport coal from Hingula coal mine of MCL at Talcher to their CPP by road. The company also intends to import one lakh tonne of coal from Indonesia to tide over the crisis.