NTPC plant faces shutdown

Vindhayachal plant faces shutdown, supply to seven states; UT to be impacted

NTPC’s largest power plant at Vindhyachal in Madhya Pradesh with a capacity of 4,260 Mw is facing shut-down due to paucity of coal supply from Northern Coalfields. The company said it would stop operations if fuel shortage continues.

Since early this month, two units of 210 Mw and 500 Mw have not been operating due to unavailability of contracted coal quantity. The rest of the 2,860 Mw is running at half the capacity.

NTPC said: “We have already lost 800 million units on account of coal shortage, whereas there was no loss of generation on account of coal shortage during the corresponding period last year.”

The company supplies power to seven states and union territories--Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat,Goa, Daman & Diu and Dadar Nagar Haveli--from the power plant.

Vindhaychal power plant in Madhya Pradesh has coal supply linkage with the Nigahi mine of NCL, which currently is supplying 5 to 6 rakes per day that is around 27,000 per tonne per day. The coal requirement of the plant is 49,889 tonne per day.

“If coal supply does not improve, Vindhyachal may have to further stop one or two more units for want of coal. Though there is no rain during last 4-5 days but there is no improvement in the coal supply,” said the statement issued by NTPC.

Last year ACQ (Annual Contracted Quantity) realisation of coal receipt from NCL was 98.89% till date whereas this year it is only 92.95% as on date.

NTPC’s Vindhyachal power plant is one of the six plants which were facing critical shortage of coal.

In a letter to the power ministry last month, NTPC said six of its power plants had reached a critical level of coal stock, and these are Rihand, Vindhyachal, Sipat, Simhadri, Ramagundam and Singrauli with a combined capacity of 16, 840 mw.