India, which proposes to add 78,577 mw of generation capacity in the 11th Plan period, would face a coal shortfall of 66 million tonne by the end of 2011-12.
A comprehensive study done by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) reveals that against the total coal requirement of 448.5 million tonne in 2011-12, indigenous coal availability to power utilities from Coal India (CIL) and subsidiaries during the terminal year is estimated at 382.4 million tonne.
Power ministry sources told FE on Monday, ?CEA has submitted its report to the ministries of power and coal. CEA has called upon the power ministry to convene monthly co-ordination meetings with coal secretary, member (Traffic), Railway Board and chairman, CIL so as to co-ordinate various issues relating to coal supplies to the 11th Plan power projects. CEA has also suggested that utilities in particular and coal suppliers will have to work in tandem so that coal import can be planned in proper manner.?
CEA has first drawn up a list of power projects which are under construction?a capacity of 4,7630 mw is under erection?and are due for commissioning in different years during the Five-Year period. The data has been put together along with sources of coal as per linkages already provided. Further, the CEA also drawn up details of the year-wise and source-wise coal requirement for projects?a total of 9,040 mw?for which letters of award (LoAs) are expected to be placed by March or April, 2008.
Morerover, the CEA also made projections of the year-wise likely production of coal from captive mines and the year-wise tapering coal requirement for those projects which have captive mines of their own.