TTPS hit by short supply of coal from MCL

After the 1200 Mw Captive Power Plant of National Aluminium Company (Nalco), it is now the 460 Mw Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) of NTPC which has been severely hit by short supply of coal from Talcher based mines of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL).

TTPS has entered into super critical situation with only three days coal stock instead of the normative level of 15 days.

TTPS gets its required coal from Jagannath mines of MCL. Worried over the depleting coal stock the TTPS authorities had written a letter to the state energy department seeking its intervention to improve the coal supply. The state energy secretary, meanwhile, has asked MCL to ensure supply of required quantity of coal to TTPS to save it from shutting down operation of the units, whose entire generation is supplied to the state grid.

“We have been receiving 2,500 to 3,000 tonne of coal per day since last month when our requirement is more than 9000 tonne. So we were forced to consume from the stock which was for 15 days. The stock has now depleted to very low level, just enough to feed the plant for three or four days,” said a top TTPS official.

The official said, at present five units are in operation, producing 350 Mw while the unit no 6 is under annual overhauling.

“Unless the coal supply improves in coming days, the plant may plunge into crisis affecting power production. The plant is now evacuating all the power generated to the state-owned Grid Corporation of Orissa (Gridco).” added the official.

Refuting the charge of short supply of coal, a MCL official said, “In fact, we have supplied more than 110 per cent of the committed coal to TTPS as prescribed under the Fuel Supply Agreement in the current financial year. There may be some problems with their stock management.”

He, however, admitted some problems in supply over the last one month due to low production in mines on accounts of rain and frequent bandhs and strikes.