Coal India Ltd and Indian Railways have agreed to work out a coalfield-wise wagon loading programme that is in tune with offtake targets, with 21 of the 32 thermal power plants supplied by CIL facing critically-low stocks.
CIL’s stand is that the railway is not giving enough wagons. The railway, admitting to a shortage of wagons, feels that CIL can help by ensuring faster turnaround of rakes.
CIL’s marketing director, K Ranganath, said 21 thermal power stations have stocks for only seven days, while 11 have stocks of 8-10 days.
He said coal transport volumes have become larger and distances traveled longer, so there was a need to work out new strategies for evacuation.
RN Varma, additional member for traffic, Railway Board, told FE that CIL and the railway have agreed to attune their functioning more closely, given that coal movement is expected to increase by 65 million tonne during 2008-09.
Total coal offtake for 2007-08 is projected at 375m tonne, up 24m tonne on the previous year’s offtake, with 207m tonne to be moved by rail.
CIL aims to increase daily loading to 24,016 four-wheeled wagons (FWWs) during 2008-09 against 22,150 FWWs during the period April 2007 to February 2008.
Going by CIL’s production plan, it will need 32,500 wagons a day by the time the 11 th Five-Year plan ends, in March 2012.
Ranganath said this calls for an annualised growth of 10% in wagon supply.
“Unless CIL and Railways work out a holistic strategy, the desired level of growth in coal offtake cannot be achieved,” he said.
CIL’s total offtake till February 2008 was 339.04m tonne.