Centre to revise coal stock norms to avert future crisis

The power sector's current daily demand is 1.7 mt, of which 1.3 mt is met by CIL

The Centre will redesign norms for coal supply and its storage at thermal power plants to avoid a demand-supply mismatch. The Ministries of Coal and Power have jointly decided to draft a monthly coal supply programme for thermal power units to keep a normative 40-million tonne (mt) stock, cumulatively, at power units by end-March.

The current stock at thermal power units stands at 7.3 mt, said executives. Coal India (CIL), however, has increased despatches and is aiming at supplying close to 3 mt by the end of this month, they added.

Since August, coal stock levels at thermal units have dwindled. Currently,