Bengal Cuts Coal Supply To Tn Power Board

Power plants in the state have been crying hoarse over the short supply of coal from Eastern Coalfields which the company has denied. Between September 26 and October 20, the despatch of coal to TNEB from the Haldia dock complex will be reduced to 3,000 tonnes a day from 7,000 tonnes a day.

Eastern Coalfields will load open boxes instead of covered wagons from Bankola and Kajora coal area to divert the coal to the power stations at Bandel, Kolaghat and CESC. As a result, an additional 2,000 tonnes of coal a day will be available to the power stations of the state.

 

Four thousand tonnes taken off from TNEB and 2,000 tonnes from Bankola and Kajora will make it 6,000 tonnes of additional coal for the West Bengal power stations, which will then get 1.2 lakh tonnes of additional coal during the next 20 days which will take care of their needs till the Puja. Eastern Coalfields sources say the power stations have been unnecessarily complaining of short supply of coal.

Sources quote figures to show that power stations of the state have indeed been supplied with coal often with more than the linkage quantum, except Kolaghat.

From April 1 to September 24, CESC power generating stations have received 12.71 lakh tonnes of coal from Eastern Coalfields against 10.61 lakh tonnes linkage quantum, recording a despatch of 118 per cent of the actual linkage. In the same period last year, the supply was 12.5 lakh tonnes.

Bandel power station, during this period, was supplied with 6.43 lakh tonnes against 6.55 lakh tonnes linkage, recording a supply of 98.17 per cent. This was 5.39 lakh tonnes in the same days last year.

Santaldih got 4.08 lakh tonnes against 3.34 lakh tonnes linkage, 122.15 per cent. Last year, the supply was 2.99 lakh tonnes.

Durgapur Projects Ltd (DPL) got 3.17 lakh tonnes against linkage of 2.32 lakh tonnes, 136.63 per cent more than linkage. Last year the supply was 2.92 lakh tonnes.

Kolaghat power station however suffered less supply than linkage at 68.59 per cent. It received 8.56 lakh tonnes against linkage of 12.46 lakh tonnes. Last year during the same period the coal supplied was 11.85 lakh tonnes.

Since Kolaghat receives coal also from Bharat Coking Coal Company Ltd and Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, Eastern Coalfields has asked these two sister coal companies to supply more coal to Kolaghat during this period of crisis.

Since DPL has got a stock of 22 days and Santaldih 15 days, Eastern Coalfields will continue to supply them as per the linkage. But the despatch to others, except Kolaghat, will go up.