India’s coal power plants are facing worsening fuel shortages as electricity demand remains near record levels during an extended spell of hot weather, with 59 facilities reporting critically low stocks as of September 9, government data showed.
The number of plants with critical coal stocks rose from 45 at the end of August, according to data from the Central Electricity Authority. Plants are classified as critically low when they hold less than 25% of their required inventory or have enough coal to generate electricity for fewer than three days.
India’s peak power demand has remained close to the record 270.70 gigawatts reached in May. Demand has been around 267 GW over the past few days, driven by increased cooling requirements during the prolonged hot weather, the report said.
The pressure on coal-fired generation comes despite solar power meeting a substantial share of daytime electricity demand. Analysts cited insufficient battery storage and lower water reservoir levels as factors increasing the system’s dependence on thermal power during periods of high demand.
“The increasing number of power plants with lower coal stocks is a concern,” Manoj Kumar, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said. He called for higher coal supplies to utilities through the rail network in the immediate term to maintain normal stock levels.
The government has increased rail movement to power stations. India deployed 444 coal trains, or rakes, on September 6, compared with 370 on September 3. Coal India and its subsidiaries have also increased coal shipments by road.
Coal India, the world’s largest coal miner, said it continues to hold about 76 million metric tonnes of coal at its pitheads. The data indicates that the immediate supply challenge is linked not only to mine-level availability but also to moving fuel to power plants as electricity demand remains elevated.
The authority data and supply measures come as power utilities manage higher cooling loads, limited storage capacity for renewable electricity and lower water availability affecting other parts of the power system. The next operational focus will be restoring stocks at plants with less than three days of generation capacity while maintaining increased rail and road deliveries.
