Power crisis: Amit Shah meets concerned ministers

Monday’s meeting comes at a time when states across India have been witnessing a severe power crisis due to shortage of coal.

New Delhi: Amid the looming electricity and coal crisis in the country, union home minister Amit Shah Monday held a crucial meeting at his residence with power minister R K Singh, coal minister Prahlad Joshi, and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Monday’s meeting comes at a time when states across India have been witnessing a severe power crisis due to shortage of coal. Also, the power minister is caught in a tussle with the Delhi government over the electricity situation in the national capital. Singh has accused the Delhi government of misleading the public with incorrect information about the electricity situation in the national capital.

A senior official in the power ministry, while trying to downplay the meeting, said it was not related particularly to the power issue. Earlier in the day, the power minister Singh also chaired a meeting with a few representatives of the state governments, project developers as well as lenders and discussed measures to revive 7,150 MW stressed or under liquidation coal based projects. Significantly, the meeting took place amid a 14 percent rise in power requirement in April to 134 billion units.

The power ministry, however, expects that the peak demand may rise further to 220-GW in May compared to approximately 215-GW in April. The maximum demand met in April was 207 GW while the peak deficit was about 5 percent. The previous high electricity requirement was in August last year at 130 billion units. In India, power is generated from conventional (Thermal, Nuclear & Hydro) and renewable sources (Wind, Solar, Biomass). However, major production of electricity is achieved through coal, a thermal power plant which is around 75 percent of the total power generation.

Power minister's data on coal situation

In a letter shot off to the Delhi power minister, the power minister on Sunday expressed displeasure at the Delhi government misleading the public. As per Singh’s letter, coal stock at Dadri plant was 202.40 thousand tonnes, which is sufficient for 8.43 days at 85 per cent PLF (plant load factor) on April 29, 2022. Similarly, coal stock at Unchahar plant was 97.62 thousand tonnes, sufficient for 4.6 days at 85 per cent PLF or capacity utilisation. The coal at Kahalgaon plant was 187 thousand tonnes (5.31 days), 234.22 thousand tonnes (8.38 days) at Farakka and 162.56 thousand tonnes at Jhajjar (8.02 days) on April 29.

The Union minister further said all the five thermal power stations have sufficient reserve coal stocks for 5-8 days. Singh added that the stocks are replenished on a daily basis — both from domestic sources and coal imported for blending purposes.