Maharashtra ranks third in terms of coal buffer stocks

Maharashtra is among the top three states in the country in terms of buffer stocks of coal for its seven coal-fired power stations. Jharkhand and Odisha are the two other states. Both are ahead of Maharashtra, with a buffer stock of 12-13 days each. Senior Maharashtra State Power Generation (Mahagenco) officials told ToI that the state’s coal backup is over 11 lakh tonnes, which will enable the power utility to smoothly carry out electricity generation for at least 11 days even in case of a problem in fresh coal procurement.

The current situation is in contrast to the shortage of buffer stock that Maharashtra faced in April this year, when demand for electricity soared and coal with generation plants was in short supply. With the onset of the monsoon, the demand for power has reduced from 23,000 megawatts in summer to 19,000 megawatts.

Jharkhand and Odisha procure coal mainly from mines in their own states or neighbouring states. But in the case of Maharashtra, a sizeable quantity of coal comes from mines in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh, which increases the logistics problems of procurement. Mahagenco also gets coal from mines of the Nagapur-headquartered Western Coalfields.

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