Amid expectations of rising power demand, Union Power Minister RK Singh on Wednesday urged states to import up to 10 per cent coal for blending purpose to ensure adequate coal stock uninterrupted. Power Supply and said that ‘tolling facility’ would be allowed up to 25 per cent of the linkage coal.
The Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, RK Singh, while presiding over a meeting to review the status of ICB plants, import of coal for blending and coal reserves, said that this would enable the states to utilize their linkage coal closer to the mines. Plants will help. It will be easier to transport electricity to far-flung states instead of transporting coal.
The tolling facility allows the use of linkage coal to a state power generation station by any independent private power producer (IPP). The independent power producer can then produce the electricity and supply it to the state which originally has the coal linkage.
The Ministry of Power has also recommended that all Gencos should try to import coal for blending up to 10 per cent.
“The Principal Secretary and senior officials of states, representatives of independent power producers and ICB plants participated in the meeting. Union Energy Secretary Alok Kumar, Additional Secretary Vivek Kumar Devangan and CMD Power CPSE were also present in the meeting held yesterday (Tuesday). The meeting took place in view of the increasing demand for electricity.
After reviewing the operation of imported coal based (ICB) plants, Singh directed all the buying states to ensure that all ICB plants are operating at fair and reasonable rates. It was decided to resolve all operational issues in ICB plants and make them fully functional.
“Keeping in view the rapidly increasing demand for power, it was recommended that all Gencos should strive to import coal for blending up to 10 per cent. State-wise and Genco-wise targets were fixed and It was urged to ensure delivery of coal for blending purpose before the onset of monsoon as the supply of domestic coal is affected during the rainy season.
The country is likely to face more power cuts this year as utilities’ coal inventories are at their lowest pre-summer levels in at least nine years and electricity demand is expected to grow at the fastest pace in at least 38 years. Is, according to a Reuters report quoted by analysts.
Power cuts could hit industrial activity in India at a time when economic activity has started to recover after months of the COVID-19-induced lockdown.
The report quoted Rajeev Agarwal, general secretary of the Indian Captive Power Producers’ Association, as saying, “The problem is that even after Coal India and the Coal Ministry asked to stock power plants, utilities continued to reduce their inventories. “
It said power shortage as a percentage of demand has increased to 1.4 per cent over the previous week, up from the 1 per cent shortfall in October, when India last faced a severe coal shortage. was, and had suffered a decrease of 0.5 percent in the previous week. march.
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