Power Minister RK Singh is set to conduct a meeting on August 22 to assess the availability of coal for thermal power plants, particularly considering the ongoing monsoon season. This comes shortly after Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi reviewed coal availability and confirmed adequate supply for coal-based power plants.

During the meeting, officials from the coal ministry will also be present, and Singh is expected to evaluate the stock levels of coal across various subsidiaries. As per sources, the country currently holds 30 million tonnes of coal in thermal power plants and 47 million tonnes in coal mines, totaling 77 million tonnes of dry fuel available for thermal power plant needs.

Given that there are still 40 days left in the monsoon season (until September 30), even with significant depletion of coal stocks, a minimum of 1.5 million tonnes of dry fuel is projected to remain. This ensures that around 6 million tonnes of coal will be available despite maximum stock depletion. The current 77 million tonnes of coal far exceeds the requirements of coal-based power plants.

In a review held on August 17, Minister Pralhad Joshi discussed dry fuel availability during the ongoing monsoon season with senior officials from Coal India Limited (CIL), Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), and other entities. The meeting revealed that both CIL and SCCL possess sufficient coal supplies to meet the demands of coal-based power plants even during the rainy season.

CIL achieved a record dispatch to the non-power sector, reaching 3.68 lakh tonnes per day in the current fiscal year. Overall CIL offtake stood at 85.2 million tonnes, indicating nearly a 10% growth compared to the previous year. Similarly, SCCL achieved a 12.6% growth in the current financial year compared to last year after dispatching 25.1 million tonnes of coal. CIL's production in the second quarter of the current fiscal reached 75.7 million tonnes, showing an 11% growth over the previous year and achieving 100.6% of its target. SCCL produced 23.6 million tonnes of coal, accomplishing 101.5% of its target.

Furthermore, growth from captive and commercial blocks has increased by 8% in the fiscal year 2023-24 compared to 2022-23.