Coal shortage hits power output at NTPC Kaniha

The power generation at the 3000 MW plant NTPC at Kaniha, the second largest power plant in the country, has been badly hit during the last fortnight due to coal crisis even as Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) claimed to have supplied 99 per cent of the power station’s average coal demand per day.

“The power generation of the five 500 MW units of NTPC Kaniha stood at 1700 MW in the past 15 days. The fall in power generation is attributed to the inadequate coal supply”, said a top NTPC official, adding, in normal conditions all the units operate at 100 per cent plant load factor (PLF). NTPC Kaniha, which supplies power to 17 states across the country, is running five units of its 3000 MW power plant. The sixth unit is shut for annual maintenance. The coal supply to the power station has been 40,000-45,000 tonnes per day as against the demand of 60,000 tonnes. The current coal stock of the power plant stands at 28,000 tonnes, said a source. There was no coal movement to the power plant for two days following the recent derailment of the rakes loaded with coal.

According to the NTPC officials, the power plant gets 6-7 rakes of coal per day from the Talcher and Ib valley coalfields but the withdrawal from the linked Lingraj mines has come down drastically, thereby resulting in the coal shortage. Instead of the normal withdrawal of 30,000-35,000 tonnes of coal per day from the Lingaraj mines, NTPC is now drawing 7000-10,000 tonnes.

The authorities of Lingaraj mines said, there was ample coal to the tune of one lakh tonnes at the mine pit head but NTPC could not lift the coal. The onus is on the NTPC to lift the coal but the power plant has its own problems relating to the track and rakes due to which it can not draw coal as per its requirement, said sources of Lingraj mines.