Punjab will face double whammy of imported coal and longer transportation route-VK Gupta
Bahadurjeet Singh/ Rupnagar,January 19,2023
Punjab is all set to face a double whammy of blending imported coal with Indian coal and transportation of coal from Orissa via rail-sea-rail (R-S-R) mode leading to generation cost escalation by 20 per cent, said V K Gupta spokesperson All India Power Engineers Federation.
Government of India has decided that Indian coal requires blending with imported coal by 6 per cent by weight in view of likely coal shortage in summer and use of rail-ship-rail mode of transportation for transporting coal from Mahanadi and Talchar coalfields in Odisha to Punjab via Mundra in Gujarat.
Ministry of Power on January 9th. directed the generating stations to timely procure imported coal for blending purposes due to surge in power demand and increase in thermal generation demand. There are risks that coal demand will be on the higher side due to hotter summer and increase in industrial demand.
Punjab has not been able to maintain the mandatory coal stock of 24 days and coal stock in state thermal plants at Lehra Mohabatt and Ropar is for less than three days. The stock at Talwandi Sabo and GVK are for three and six days respectively.
The power ministry had on Monday asked Punjab ,Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, to transport 10-15% of their coal requirement through a combination of land and sea route, also called rail-ship-rail mode. The new coal transport mechanism was worked out because of logistical constraints of direct rail movement and an anticipated increase in coal requirement in the coming peak demand season of April-May.
V K Gupta said that this mode of transport(R-S-R) will increase the cost of generation by 10 per cent and use of imported coal for bending will also increase the generation cost by 10 per cent at that particular thermal plant. The total increase in generating cost may be up to 20 per cent.
Chief Minister, Punjab in his DO letter of December 8,2022 has sought exemption to thermal power plants of Punjab for lifting coal through RSR mode and to supply 100% coal in “Direct Rail Mode only. In addition to this the letter also mentions to favorably consider the request regarding transfer of its coal from Pachhwara Central coal mine to Talwandi Sabo thermal and Rajpura thermal without any transfer limit of 50% and further without payment of any additional royalty.
V K Gupta said that in case of present practice at Talwandi Sabo thermal plant , wherein coal is moved from mine to thermal station by rail the freight distance by rail is 1900 KM in 4 to 5 days , but with RSR mode the coal would be transported 1700-1800 Km by rail in addition to sea travel of 4360 km in a time period of 25 days. As such, transportation of domestic coal through RSR route is not fruitful for the thermal power plants of Punjab, as it will increase energy charges burden on the people of Punjab.
(royalpatiala.in News)
