Domestic thermal power plants had coal stocks of 18.205 million tonnes (MT) as of October 10, with supplies averaging 2.49 MT per day, the government said on Monday, assuring that stocks were adequate to meet power demand.

The Coal Ministry said stocks had remained “stable” at above 18 MT since September 29, even as thermal power plants continued to consume coal at a daily rate of less than 3 MT. Thermal power accounted for more than 60% of electricity generated during peak demand.

“The stabilisation reflects coal supplies keeping pace with daily consumption at power plants and the supply to the plants with critical stocks is being closely monitored, with requirement-based redistribution of coal to vulnerable stations to ensure adequate supplies and uninterrupted power generation,” the ministry said.

The rate of stock depletion — the gap between coal consumption and incoming supplies — has moderated significantly, from 0.24 MT per day in September to 0.06 MT per day during the first 10 days of October, it added.

The improvement in supplies has been accompanied by an increase in rail freight movement. The average number of rakes loaded daily for coal transportation to power plants rose 10% to 469 during the first 10 days of October, compared with the daily average for the whole of September.

“Daily rake loading in October has ranged between 447 and 482 rakes,” the government said.

Domestic thermal power plants had coal stocks of 18.205 million tonnes (MT) as of October 10, with supplies averaging 2.49 MT per day, the government said on Monday, assuring that stocks were adequate to meet power demand.

The Coal Ministry said stocks had remained “stable” at above 18 MT since September 29, even as thermal power plants continued to consume coal at a daily rate of less than 3 MT. Thermal power accounted for more than 60% of electricity generated during peak demand.

“The stabilisation reflects coal supplies keeping pace with daily consumption at power plants and the supply to the plants with critical stocks is being closely monitored, with requirement-based redistribution of coal to vulnerable stations to ensure adequate supplies and uninterrupted power generation,” the ministry said.

The rate of stock depletion — the gap between coal consumption and incoming supplies — has moderated significantly, from 0.24 MT per day in September to 0.06 MT per day during the first 10 days of October, it added.

The improvement in supplies has been accompanied by an increase in rail freight movement. The average number of rakes loaded daily for coal transportation to power plants rose 10% to 469 during the first 10 days of October, compared with the daily average for the whole of September.

“Daily rake loading in October has ranged between 447 and 482 rakes,” the government said.

India has sufficient coal stocks to meet around 51 days of domestic power demand, Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy said, allaying concerns over supply disruptions caused by heavy monsoon rains in coal-producing regions.

The country currently holds around 123.7 million tonnes (MT) of coal, including 23.7 MT stocked at thermal power plants, Reddy told reporters. With the power sector consuming nearly 2.4 MT of coal a day, the available stock is adequate to meet demand for about 51 days, he told in response to a query from The Hindu.

Reddy’s comments came amid concerns over coal inventories at thermal power plants. The Central Electricity Authority had recently observed that 53 thermal power plants were holding 25% or less of their required coal stock.

Coal production was affected for around 10 days due to monsoon rains in key coal-bearing regions, Reddy said. However, rainfall has eased over the past few days, allowing production to recover.

“We are monitoring the situation daily. Rainfall has eased in the last couple of days, thus production has increased. There is no need to worry about coal stocks,” Reddy said.

He added that if rainfall remains moderate for another week, coal production could increase further.

The Coal Ministry is also coordinating with coal-producing companies, the Ministries of Power and Railways to ensure adequate coal availability and smooth offtake, Reddy said.

Meanwhile, coal-based power generation rose 9.1% year-on-year to 535.8 billion units (BU) between April and August, according to government officials. “This was mainly due to El Niño conditions, coupled with an 11% decline in hydropower generation,” they explained.

Coal India’s production has also picked up sharply. According to the latest government data, the company’s average daily output increased by around 35% from the first three days of September to about 1.83 MT on September 6, indicating a recovery in production following the monsoon-related disruption.