The Coal Ministry on Friday said that pan-India cumulative coal stocks, which includes those at power plants, at mine pitheads and in transit, rose by 24 per cent Y-o-Y to 88.1 million tonnes (MT), as on Wednesday.

The development comes close on the heels of rising power demand in August due to high heat and humidity with peak demand met during the day hitting 234.1 gigawatts (GW), surpassing Power Ministry’s estimate of 229 GW.

“This higher coal stock position indicates commitment of maintaining an ample supply of coal by the Ministry of Coal,” the Ministry said.

Additionally, the pithead coal stock at Coal India (CIL) as on August 23 stands at 46.13 MT, showcasing a growth rate of 45.5 per cent as compared to the stock of 31.70 MT a year-ago. This upward trend highlights effective stock management strategies and operational efficiency, it added.

As on August 23 in FY24, coal dispatch to the power sector stood at 307.97 MT, registering a growth of 5.6 per cent Y-o-Y ensuring a steady supply of coal to meet energy requirements of the sector.

Cumulative coal production in FY 2023-24 (till August 23) stood at 340.31 MT, representing a growth of 10.52 per cent Y-o-Y compared to the previous year’s 307.92 MT.

Earlier this week, businessline reported that domestic coal-based (DCB) power plants are facing shortage of coal, which in the first 21 days of the month has already surpassed 4.43 million tonnes.

Sources said that as India faces higher requirement for electricity due to high heat index and humidity, power demand appreciated significantly, particularly in North, Central and South India.

At the same time, there is a gap between receipt and consumption of domestic coal, which has been increasing, said one of the sources.

For instance, DCB plants consumed 45.72 MT of the dry fuel between August 1 to 21 against a receipt of 41.29 MT taking the shortage to 4.43 MT, which is the highest in FY24 and “possibly” in the current calendar year.

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