By IANS,
New Delhi : Coal shortage is crippling the power production of state-run NTPC Ltd, which has reported a loss of 126 million units in generation between April and June this year, a union minister said here Monday.
“NTPC’s power stations at Farakka, Kahalgaon, Sipat, Talcher and Korba were affected due to shortage of coal supply,” Minister of State for Power Bharatsinh Solanki told the Rajya Sabha.
He said the Sipat plant was temporarily shut down for five days in May due to coal shortage.
Concerned over the falling output, the government has asked power utilities to import coal, the minister said. “We have advised power utilities to import 28.7 million tonnes of coal including 12.5 million tonnes by NTPC.”
NTPC has already imported 3.6 million tones of coal as on June 30 this year.
Coal supply to the thermal power stations has come down to half of the required 22 million tonnes during the period.
The coal ministry estimates a shortfall in coal supply of around 51 million tonnes by 2011-12.
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) earlier said the coal situation at 31 thermal power stations was “critical” as they had stocks for less than seven days as on July 6.