NTPC assures sufficient coal stock at Odisha plants

NTPC Ltd, which operates three coal-fired power plants in Odisha with installed capacity of 3460 Mw, said it has no coal supply problems from coal miner Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL).

"We have enough stocks to run our plants. There is no coal supply issues as of now," said an official of NTPC looking after Odisha plants.

Recently, Central Electricity Authority (CEA) of India had said that 46 out of 100 electricity generation stations in the country have fuel stock of less than 7 days.

The NTPC official said he was not aware of power plants situated in neighbouring states,which also supply power to Odisha.

"There might be some supply problems from outside Odisha plants due to coal supply issues," the official said.

The state gets a share of 1523 Mw power supply from NTPC-operated units of Odisha and neighbouring states.

Currently it is getting around 1100 Mw power from the top producer of thermal power due to maintenance of some units at Kahalgaon and Kaniha plant.

NTPC sources coal primarily from MCL operated mines situated in the state.

Between June 25 and July 15, the miner had difficulties in coal production at its key sites due to local opposition that led to daily output loss of nearly 100,000 tonne.

The protest started because villagers near coal mines were demanding to shift to an area other than a place recommended by MCL. When MCL did not respond to their requests, the villagers blocked the area and thereby disrupted transportation from the sites.

Though the miner has resumed operation, it still fears the same problem could arise further. "If the people do not vacate their dwellings units by October and relocate to a place identified by the company, then MCL would have no other option but to close down the mining operations again in the area," the Coal India subsidiary has said in a statement earlier this month.

NTPC said though it faced supply disruption for a brief period of time during the blockade, it is getting regular coal supply since then for its Odisha plants.