The Hindu : National : Power, Coal Ministries discuss crisis faced by plants

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Sunday, May 15, 2005

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Power, Coal Ministries discuss crisis faced by plants

Staff Reporter

To plan strategies for overcoming shortage of feedstock

CHENNAI: Apart from approving the import of 12 million tonnes of thermal coal this year, the Union Ministries of Power and Coal are chalking out strategies to overcome the shortage of feedstock faced by power plants.

"We are working in close coordination with the Ministry of Coal," Union Power Secretary R.V. Shahi said.

The emphasis was on enhanced production from the mines and faster development of new fields. The Power Ministry is also keen on speedier allotment of coal blocks for captive use by the power generators.

Stating that the National Thermal Power Corporation had been allotted one such block in Jharkhand, he estimated that about 50 million tonnes of coal would be available from such blocks in the next five years.

Captive mines

The allotment of the captive mines would, however, be subject to the power producers establishing the generation facilities within a stipulated timeframe.

Mr. Shahi, who participated in a meeting chaired by Minister of Power P.M. Sayeed to review the power sector in the southern region, here on Saturday, said there was also close coordination with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in resolving the gas crisis.

On the coal imports this year, he added, it would be a nominal percentage as the total requirement of thermal coal is 300 million tonnes.

Earlier, Mr. Sayeed told the meeting that the growth in power generation in 2004-05, which was 5.2 per cent, would have been 8.5 per cent but for the loss in generation of 3.6 billion units due to coal shortage and 15.1 billion units due to shortfall in gas availability. "Gas stations could be operated only at around 60 per cent of the plant load factor," he said.

Notwithstanding the shortfall, which recently snowballed into a major power crisis in several States, the power sector had achieved more than 90 per cent of the targeted capacity addition of 41,110 megawatt in the current Five-year plan.

The Secretary and the Minister told media persons that the State Governments had to play a major role in adding new capacities.

The supply to them from the Central generating stations was only complementary, Mr. Sayeed said.

On the failure of private power projects, the Minister said that with the health of the state electricity boards improving, the independent power producers were likely to evince interest.

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