The present coal crisis has affected the Maharashtra power generation utility. While summer sets in, the Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MahaGenco) has been hit by coal shortage, with stocks dwindling. The 1,130mw Parli Thermal Power Station has coal inventories that will last for only about two days. This is against the normative stock requirement of 25 days.
Most other power stations, excluding the one at Nashik, have stocks that will last for just around a week, and officials admit that the situation has reached critical levels. The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MahaVitaran) plans to ensure that there is minimal load-shedding this summer. The MahaGenco, which has a 9,737mw installed capacity, has coal-based thermal power as its backbone (6,480mw). This is followed by capacity in the hydro sector (2,585mw) and gas (672mw). The utility is also in the process of commissioning an additional 1,500mw capacity at Bhusawal and Khaparkheda.
The 500mw Paras plant has stocks for just six-and-a-half days, while the Khaparkheda thermal power station (840mw) has just 7 days’ coal stock. The 420mw Bhusawal power station has stocks that will last for just seven-and-a-half days. The Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station (CSTPS), which has the largest 2,340mw capacity, has a coal inventory for 7.6 days (as against the normative stock requirement of 20 days) while the 620mw units at Koradi are in a marginally better position with 7.8 days’ stock.
However, the 630mw Nashik thermal power station has stocks for twenty-one-and-a-half days.
A senior MahaGenco official said that in case the supply of rakes carrying coal was delayed due to emergencies, the low stocks were likely to affect generation at these power plants, especially since summer demand was expected to pick up.
The MahaGenco expects getting 11 rakes of coal on Saturday and another 20 rakes on Sunday. On Friday, the utility had received 19 rakes.
