Coal India sets up monitoring cell for supply to thermal power plants

Monitoring plan aims at coordination with Railways, Power Utilities for supplying coal

To make it easier for thermal power plants facing coal shortage, the State-owned Coal India Ltd has set up a round-the-clock monitoring cell that aims to ensure steady supply of the feedstock, a top official said on Monday.

"This is an effort to rush coal to thermal power stations facing critical stocks and avoid stock crisis at any of the linked power stations. This is our commitment to consumers to address their problems on priority and provide feedback on the course of action taken. We plan to monitor production and despatch of coal closely," CIL interim chairman Gopal Singh said.

The initiatives, monitoring and control cell (IMC) has been set up at CIL's corporate office. Similar cells have also been set up at all coal producing subsidiaries of CIL with a toll-free number, the miner said in a statement.

The monitoring plan primarily aims at coordination with Railways, Power Utilities/IPPs for rushing coal to generating units facing critical stocks and avoid stock crisis at any of the linked power stations.

To boost coal supplies to thermal power plants, the company is temporarily regulating coal movement to non-power sectors and prioritising supply to the thermal power plants.

To pool in logistic capability of thermal power plants, coal is being offered on 'as is where is' and 'Road cum Rail' mode from stocks in CCL, WCL, SECL, BCCL and MCL.

Further, generation companies have been asked to utilise flexi-utilization facility to optimize coal movement to plants with critical coal stocks.