Coal crunch hits power generation in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

 

While generation in RTPP was affected on Monday, all units of VTPS were running, though it is surviving on a single day’s stock against a normal coal stock of 10 to 15 days.

While VTPS is generating 1300 MW, against the total capacity of 1760 MW, RTPP is generating only 597 MW against its 1050 MW capacity. The current coal shortage is a trickle down effect of a manpower shortage in CCL and MCL since the last two weeks.

 

“Due to a severe heat wave in Odisha, the MCL is not operating for six to seven hours daily since the last two weeks, the trickle down effect of which is being felt since the last few days. It usually takes more than a week for the impact to be felt,” said a senior official.

 

Currently the Railways is supplying two rakes (each with 4,000 tonnes capacity) of coal to VTPS while four rakes are being supplied to RTPP. Only 8,000 tonnes of coal are being loaded from MCL in Talcher, currently, and around 10,000 tonnes from Singareni.

 

The allocations from MCL to the two plants caught in the Andhra Pradesh- Telangana power tussle have been reduced. The coal shortage is likely to hit both states as these plants supply power to both regions. Moreover, the situation in AP will be worse as the state has been facing a 7 million units shortage for the last few weeks.

 

As per official sources from South Central Railway, loading of coal from MCL is not going on as per the linkages. 

 

“If the coal supply crisis continues further, generation at VTPS will also drop as its is operating on just a single day’s stock,” added the official.