Thermal coal stockpiles at Indian power plants began to decline over the last week, although they remained markedly higher than the year-ago period, according to data released Monday by the Central Electricity Authority. Thermal coal stockpiles at Indian power plants began to decline over the last week, although they remained markedly higher than the year-ago period, according to data released Monday by the Central Electricity Authority.
Stocks were measured at 30.979 million mt on Sunday, down 1.3% on the week and 2.7% on the month, but up 105% from the year-ago period, the data showed.
The slight declines were largely expected as stockpiles historically peak around late March-April, when utilities build stocks in advance of the wet season.
The large increase on a year-ago basis could partially be explained by increased imports of thermal coal — stockpiles of which hit a two-year high last week of 1.343 million mt — as well as significantly higher production and dispatch from state-owned producer Coal India.
The number of plants with critical or super-critical stock levels was just one, down significantly from 23 a year earlier, and coal stocks across the country were enough for 17 days generation, up from just nine a year earlier.