With coal stocks at thermal power stations at a comfortable level, the power ministry is likely to relax the directive to gencos to step up coal imports. However, the stipulation that 10% of coal should be sourced via imports will remain unchanged.
A power ministry official told FE that blending is a technical requirement related to the boiler design and it has nothing to do with the stock position. The country’s thermal power plants have been blending 10% imported coal with the total domestic coal required for years, he said. Cutting down on imports for blending would mean feeding the power plants with more domestic coal and the stock situation may not permit it, the official added.
