State-run power Gencos owe Rs 6,477.5 cr to Coal India Limited

State-run power generating firms of West Bengal, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Rajashthan and Madhya Pradesh owes Rs 6,477.5 crore to Coal India Limited amid the country fighting with coal shortages.

Due to coal shortages, the country is currently experiencing a power crisis.

According to media sources, Maharashtra State Power Generation Company owes Coal India (CIL) the most money, at Rs 2,608.07 crore. Meanwhile, West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL) owes the PSU Rs 1,066.40 crore.

Tenughat Vidyut Nigam Ltd, a Jharkhand government undertaking, owes CIL Rs 1,018.22 crore in coal dues, followed by Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd Rs 823.92 crore, Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company Rs 531.42 crore, and Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (Rs 429.47 crore).

As per the media sources, even though the dues owed to the state power generating companies in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and West Bengal are relatively substantial, CIL never controlled supply to these gencos and made appropriate supply by the sub-group plan and rake availability.

Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) is a coal supplier to several thermal power plants, including TSGENCO, APGENCO, NTPC, KPCL, and MAHAGECO, as well as steel, pharmaceutical, and cement companies.

SCCL is delivering coal following the fuel supply agreement (FSA)/memorandum of understanding (MoU) reached with state and central power utilities.

SCCL owes Rs 764.70 crore to Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (APGENCO), Rs 514.14 crore to Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd (KPCL), Rs 59.19 crore to NTPC Tamil Nadu Energy Company Ltd (NTECL), and Rs 32.79 crore to Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd.

AK Jain, Coal Secretary, told the media that the current power crisis is mainly due to a huge fall in energy output from various fuel sources, rather than a lack of local coal.

Jain informed that low coal supplies at power plants are attributable to several variables, including increased power consumption following Covid-19, the early arrival of summer, a spike in the price of gas and imported coal, and a steep drop in energy output by coastal thermal power plants.

He said that because of the substantial spike in the price of imported coal, the coastal thermal power plants are presently producing roughly half of their capacity. As a result, there is a demand-supply imbalance.

Because Coal India is a government entity, it is believed that the PSU will provide more coal to fill the gap between demand and supply. CIL provided almost 18% more coal to the power sector last year, with a fuel stock of 100 million tonnes.

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