Power generation loss to be at 4-year low in 2015

The improved supply of coal is set to bring down power generation loss in the country to a four-year low this year, Parliament was informed today
The loss of generation to thermal power stations due to shortage of coal during the past three fiscal years stood at 11.6 billion unit (BU), 15.8 BU and 8.1 BU respectively, Minister of State for Coal and Power Piyush Goyal said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
Till February in current fiscal, the loss was to the tune of 2.7 BU, the Minister said, quoting figures reported by Central Electricity Authority accrued from power utilities.

Coal to power firms is now supplied under a Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) where supply of indigenous coal has been assured to the tune of 90 per cent and 65 per cent of committed quantity for plants commissioned up to March, 2009 and thereafter.
The despatch of 348.5 MT is 84 per cent of committed FSA quantity of 413.37 MT during the April-February period of the current fiscal is more than the assured level of supply, the minister said.
"Even at this level of dispatch, as reported by CEA, coal stock of major thermal power projects (TPPs) in the country has improved from 7.23 MT as on October 19, 2014 to 21.21 MT as on March 4, 2015," he said.

This has resulted in the number of power plants with critical stock coming down from 66 to 13 during the same period, Goyal said.
Despatches by Coal India could have been better but for intermittent law and order problems particularly in Odisha and Jharkhand, mismatch between indents and wagon supply, and heavy rains during monsoon season among others have hampered the movement of the dry fuel, he said.