Coal stock at thermal power plants improved to 20.98 million tonne (MT) on December 5, 2021, which is sufficient to run the plants for an average 10 days, Parliament was informed on Thursday.

 At present, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) monitors fuel stocks of 136 coal-based thermal power plants with total generation capacity of over 166 GW.  The coal stock available with power plants being monitored by  CEA was 41.6 MT as on November 30, 2020, which decreased to 31.9 MT as on March 31, 2021, Power Minister R K Singh said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. Further, with increased generation and some interruption in supply of coal by companies mainly due to heavy rains and increase in prices of imported coal, stock at the plants depleted to about 11.4 MT as on September 30, 2021, he stated.

 Subsequently, he said with the concerted efforts of Ministry of Power, Ministry of Coal, CEA, Coal India Ltd (CIL) & Railways, the coal stock has started increasing and has now reached about 20.98 MT as on December 5, 2021, which is sufficient to run the plants for an average 10 days.

 He also said the total actual coal stock in November this year at the plants was 13.65 MT against 28.51 MT stock to be maintained.        In November 2020, the total coal stock at the plants was  29.7 MT against 26.9 MT dry fuel stock to be maintained.

 Similarly, the total actual coal stock in October this year at the plants was 7.87 MT against 28.13 MT stock to be maintained.                In October 2020, the total coal stock at thermal power plants was 27.1 MT against 27.2 MT stock to be maintained.

 "During 2021-22 (Apr'21-Nov'21), the coal-based generation in the country increased about 16.1 per cent as compared to same period last year and 5.1 per cent as compared to same period during 2019-20.

 "Thus, though the coal stock had depleted during some months, the coal-based generation has improved vis-à vis same period in previous years and now the stock has also improved. Thus, as such, there is no shortage of coal in thermal power plants of the country," the Minister told the House.