Coal stocks adequate to meet 51 days of power demand: Coal Minister whilst addressing monsoon slump in production

The Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G. Kishan Reddy, has assured that India currently possesses sufficient coal reserves to sustain about fifty-one days of domestic power generation. This statement came during an interview where Reddy discussed the impact of recent monsoon rains on coal production in affected regions. According to Reddy, India currently holds 123.7 million tonnes (MT) of coal, with thermal power plants alone accounting for 23.7 MT.

With the present power sector consumption rate of approximately 2.4 MT per day, the existing stock of coal is projected to last for about fifty-one days.

However, coal production has faced challenges over the past ten days due to monsoons affecting coal-bearing regions. Reddy assured that the situation is being closely monitored, and production has recently increased following the easing of rainfall in recent days. He further noted that if the moderate rainfall continues for another week, coal production could potentially be further boosted.

In addition to addressing the monsoon impact on coal production, Reddy also highlighted the overall positive trend in coal-based power generation. Government data revealed that coal-based power generation had increased by 9.1% between April and August this year, reaching 535.8 billion units compared to the same period last year. This growth was primarily attributed to higher power demand resulting from El Niño conditions, coupled with an 11% decline in hydropower generation.

Reddy emphasized that the Ministry of Coal is actively coordinating with the coal companies, the Ministry of Power, and the Rail Ministry to ensure adequate coal off-take and stock levels. Moreover, government officials reported that Coal India's average daily production had surged by 35% from the first three days of September to about 1.83 MT on September 6.