Coal supplies rise, but over half of thermal units still have stocks at critical levels

The power and the coal ministry have said that the coal supplies to the power plants may not face a crunch this monsoon season with power plants building up inventories. However, at 91 out of country’s total 173 thermal power stations, coal stocks are in a critical situation.Of these 91 plants, 8 are non-operational and another 8 are dependent on imported coal. Coal imports have not yet picked up to the extent required to create inventory of half the normative level for the imported coal-based units.