The 3,000 MW NTPC-Kaniha, the second largest power stations in India, is on the verge of collapse as only two 500 MW units are in operational out of total six units due to Talcher coalfield stir blocking coal supply.
If the power plant is shut down due to coal crisis then several states including Odisha which are drawing power from the plant will be plunged into severe power crisis. Odisha alone takes over 500 MW power from this power plant everyday.
Never in the history of NTPC-kaniha four units were shut down due to coal. The stock at its stock yard is about 4,000 tonne instead of seven lakh tonne. The daily requirement of coal to run all the six units are 55,000 tonne of coal, according to NTPC source.
The plant authorities are bringing three rakes (10,000 tonne) of coal each from IB valey, Eastern coalfield and Singareni coalfield limited to maintain the two operational units. The power generation in the plant now stands at 700 MW as against the normal of 3,000 MW per day.
Reports said that NTPC authorities have intimated to all the state governments about the situation. The authority has also apprised the situation to top state government authorities. As regards to another NTPC plant, Talcher Thermal power station (TTPS), the situation is also equally serious due to depleting coal stock following the agitation.
It has shut down three units and running only one unit. The plant is dedicated to state grid as all the power produced from the plant consumed by the state only. “we are having only 19,000 tonne stock to run the plant for two days only.
The available coal is also wet coal and difficult to use in the plant. The plant is running only one of six units at present, a TTPS official said. The coal situation in power plants like JITPL, GMR and JSPL in the state are also very critical due to the coal shortage, sources said.
MCL sources said illegal stoppage of mines has made vulnerable the mining conditions at Talcher coalfields as production and supply of coal from the coalfield has been paralysed following an accident due to strata failure in a mine under Bharatpur area on July 23 last.
