India imports 2.7 MT of coal for power sector

Power utilities across India imported 2.7 MT of coal, representing a 94% achievement against the prorata target for the month.

Out of the coal imported, 2.1 MT has reached appropriate destinations, while around 0.6 MT is still lying at various ports for delivery to various thermal power stations.

Out of the 20 power firms that are due to receive imported coal in the current fiscal, to mitigate the debilitating shortage of domestic coal for power generation, as many as eight companies are still to start receiving supplies. These include, both, public and private sector power firms, namely Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited, NTPC-SAIL Power Company Private Limited, Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board and Reliance Power Limited.

State-owned power major, NTPC, has obtained 1.328 MT of imported coal, against its target of 15.45 MT for the entire year.

Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited also received 0.408 MT of imported coal during April 2011. Its fiscal target stands at 3.350 MT. This is followed by Tamil Nadu Electricity Board which has received 0.258 MT, during the same period, against its annual target of 1.8 MT.