Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 06: Coal India is offering additional coal to thermal plants. Eligible plants have existing fuel supply agreements. They can now lift quantities beyond annual contracts. Road transport is the new supply option offered. This supplements the existing rail-based delivery system.
Some power plants are facing coal stock depletion. Elevated electricity demand across regions is adding pressure. Forecasts pointed toward strong El Nino weather conditions. Coal supplies remain higher year-on-year despite this pressure. A seasonal slack has still affected overall availability.
Road transport gives Coal India added logistics flexibility. It works alongside the existing rail network. Faster dispatch could help plants facing immediate shortages. The coal ministry confirmed this move on Saturday. It said Coal India subsidiaries hold adequate stocks currently.
Specific inventory figures support that assessment. Coal India has 76 million tonnes at pitheads. It also holds 46 million tonnes of ready-to-mine coal exposure. Both figures come directly from the coal ministry. Production and supply are reportedly gathering pace now.
That improvement follows a difficult monsoon stretch. Prolonged rainfall hit operations through July and August. East-central India faced particularly heavy disruption. Despite this, Coal India maintained a steady supply run.
The numbers reflect that resilience clearly. Coal India supplied 322.9 million tonnes between April and August. That marks a 6.7% increase year-on-year. This growth came despite challenging weather conditions throughout.
Rainfall is now easing across coal-bearing regions. The ministry expects further improvement as conditions normalise. Production and supply should strengthen going forward, it said. Relief is already visible on the ground, per the ministry.
Still, the picture is not uniformly resolved. Some plants continue facing genuine stock pressure. Elevated electricity demand keeps inventory management challenging in places. Coal India’s overall adequacy does not guarantee every plant’s cushion.
That is precisely why road transport matters now. It offers a quicker channel during immediate stock crunches. Plants can draw on it without waiting solely on rail. This flexibility becomes especially useful during seasonal slowdowns.
Taken together, the situation shows gradual improvement. Coal India’s stocks and supply trends look reasonably healthy. Yet targeted support remains necessary for specific plants. The road-transport option addresses that near-term gap directly. Broader supply conditions should keep easing as monsoon rains recede.
