CIL offers extra fuel, 57 plants now report critically low stock

Stocks available at thermal power plants fell further NEW DELHI: State-run Coal India Limited (CIL) has offered power plants having fuel supply agreements with it and its subsidiaries to lift additional quantities of coal, over and above the quantities stipulated in their annual contracts, as stocks available at thermal power plants fell further.Central Electricity Authority (CEA) data showed that on Sept 4, the number of plants with critically low coal stocks had increased to 57. The total stock availability was estimated at 27.1 MT, or 47% of the recommended requirement of 57.7 MT. TOI Saturday reported that 50 of 190 coal-fired power plants had less than 25% of the recommended coal requirement.Coal ministry said the situation was likely to improve now as intense rains over coal command regions showed clear signs of easing, while production and supplies of the fuel at CIL's mines were gathering pace."Despite prolonged spells of rain through July and Aug, particularly across the East-Central parts, CIL maintained a steady supply run. During April-Aug of the current fiscal, CIL supplied 322.9 MT of coal, 6.7% higher than the 302.6 MT supplied during the corresponding period last year." It said, "Supplies to the power sector in Aug 2026 also rose 4.5% to 48.46 MT, compared with Aug 2025." It added that CIL was holding a stock cushion of 76 MT at its pitheads, besides 46 MT of ready-to-mine coal. The ministry said sticky and wet coal beds were now drying out, making freshly mined coal free-flowing and considerably easier to transfer, handle and dispatch. Coal seams at lower mine horizons that had been submerged were also being restored to production.The average daily coal production improved from 1.4 MT during the rain-affected first three days of Sept to nearly 1.7 MT on Sept 4, with just a single day's respite from rain, it said. Atul Mathur is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India with over 27 years of experience in journalism. Based in Delhi, he has spent much of his career reporting on governance, public policy and politics, churning out researched, data-driven stories that impact daily lives. Atul is known for investigative depth and strong human-interest narratives as he strives to bring clarity and context to complex issues. He currently tracks the energy sector, writing on power, renewable energy, coal and mines.