The eight sectors - coal, steel, cement, fertilisers, electricity, natural gas, refinery products, and crude oil - comprise two-fifths of India's total industrial production
The list includes generation units of state-owned NTPC, and privately owned units of Tata Power, Adani Power, CESC, Hindustan Power
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has asked power producers to bill electricity buyers every week to ensure adequate cash flow as costs surge due to higher imports of expensive coal, according to a federal power ministry letter seen by Reuters.
The country is facing constraints in the domestic coal availability and the rest of the dry fuel demand needs to be met with imports, according to the coal ministry. The ministry has also emphasised that coal block holders -- both captive and commercial -- have a major role to play in mitigating the coal shortfall situation. Domestic coal production is about 800 million tonnes, according to the coal additional secretary, who is also the chairperson of an inter-ministerial panel on coal linkages for the power sector. The inter-ministerial panel met ?recently to consider the requests for coal linkages to central/state sector power plants and to review the status of existing coal linkages. The additional coal secretary stated that "there are constraints in domestic coal availability and the domestic coal production is roughly about 800 MT". "Therefore, the rest of the coal demand of the country has to be met through imports from other countries", according to the minutes of the meetin
Coal supplies at power plants are shrinking amid a grueling heat wave that's pushed electricity demand to a record in recent weeks
In April, state-run Indian Railways supplied 261 trains per day to Coal India for the power industry, the lowest in three months
The situation cries out for more global investment in India to retire coal, buy out existing contracts, compensate affected communities and switch to renewables
The move can put pressure on the global prices of coal as the utilities rush to avoid a repeat of the electricity crisis in April
On an average, the PSU supplied 1.66 MT of coal per day to power utilities in April which increased to 1.73 MT during last week
Public sector miner Coal India has asked its employees to step up efforts and breach the production and offtake target of 700 million tonnes for FY23.
The decision to boost imports underscores the severity of India's fuel crisis as coal inventories are at the lowest pre-summer levels in at least nine years
Official plans call for boosting coal production capacity by 300 million tons this year, according to news reports
States such as Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh are witnessing powercuts amid low coal stocks
"The MVA is raising a hue and cry about shortage of coal. If the state government had prepared a plan in advance, it would not have faced power shortage," Raosaheb Danve said
Coal Additional Secretary M Nagaraju said the government is committed to ensuring that mines are properly and scientifically closed for the benefit of the society
Cabinet clears use of land not meant for coal mining
Imported coal-based power generation which was 78.07 BU during April to January 2020 has reduced by 55 per cent to 35.13 BU during corresponding months of current FY'22
The domestic coal-based power generation upto January 2022 is 815.72 Billion Units (BU) with an increase of 12.55 per cent over 724.746 BU during the corresponding period of FY20
It has issued a circular directing certain actions to be taken on priority to enhance the supply of domestic coal
The Standing Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel in its report tabled in Parliament said that a huge amount of dues are outstanding from the states and other utilities