Daily Times

BEIJING: Lower pre-monsoon coal stock at thermal power plants in India could lead to another power crisis in July-August, Chinese media reported while quoting a report issued by independent research organization.

“Going by coal stocks in thermal power stations, India’s current power crisis is unlikely to be resolved soon. The onset of the southwest monsoon will further hamper mining and transportation of coal from mines to power stations,” the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), said the report. “At the start of May 2022, non-pithead power stations have only six days of coal left, against the stipulated 20-26 days. On the other hand, pithead power stations have coal stock enough for 13 days,” said the report.

According to the CREA, a lower pre-monsoon coal stock at power stations indicates the possibility of another power crisis in July-August 2022, China.org.cnreported.

“Plant operators and regulators had three months to prepare and avoid a crunch,” Sunil Dahiya, an analyst with the CREA, said. “Yet, no preemptive action was taken to resolve this crisis.”

The CREA said the problem of power shortage is not coal production but distribution and official apathy.

India produced 777.26 million tons of coal in the financial year 2022, an 8.5 percent increase from the previous year.

“India’s coal production this year was the highest in its history and ironically, millions of people are left vulnerable to power cuts amid severe heatwaves and other vagaries of Indian weather,” Dahiya said.

The authorities have canceled hundreds of passenger trains to allow faster movement of coal carriages to tackle critically low stocks at power plants.

About 70 percent of India’s electricity is generated by coal.