India holds 123 million tonnes of coal, enough for 51 days, minister says
Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy said India is holding about 123 million tonnes of coal, sufficient for roughly 51 days of national requirements. Power generation companies hold stocks for about 23 days. Monsoon rains disrupted production for around 10 days before output recovered.
India is holding about 123 million tonnes of coal, enough to cover the country's requirements for roughly 51 days, Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy said on Tuesday, ruling out concerns over availability after monsoon rains temporarily curbed production. Power generation companies hold stocks sufficient for about 23 days, he told reporters in Delhi, according to businessline.
Two layers of stock, two very different cover periods
"We hold a coal reserve of approximately 123 million tonnes, sufficient to meet the country's needs for 51 days," Reddy said. Separately, he put utility-level inventories at a little over three weeks: "Power companies currently have coal stocks sufficient for about 23 days. We are continuously monitoring the situation throughout the day."
The two figures describe different points in the chain. The 51-day number covers coal held across the system as a whole, while the 23-day figure applies only to what is already at the plants that burn it. The gap implies that a substantial share of the national total sits away from the point of consumption — at pitheads, in stockyards or in transit — and therefore depends on rail and road movement to become usable generation fuel. Stock cover measured in days is also a function of burn rates, so the same tonnage translates into fewer days whenever demand rises.
Monsoon cut output for about 10 days
Reddy attributed the recent disruption to seasonal rainfall. "Monsoon rains caused some minor disruptions in coal production, which lasted for about 10 days; however, there is no problem now," he said. Heavy rain routinely slows work at mines during the Indian monsoon, affecting both production and transportation, businessline noted.
The minister said the position has since reversed. "With the rainfall subsiding over the last two or three days, production has increased significantly; therefore, there is no cause for concern in the country," Reddy said, adding that the government was directing supplies to where they were needed: "We are supplying coal wherever it is needed."
No reported strain on generation
On the demand side, Reddy said availability was adequate to meet the requirements of power producers, and that "major power generation companies and their plants are facing no difficulties in electricity production." The remarks were made against a backdrop of concern over the monsoon's impact on coal mining and transportation, with heavy rainfall typically affecting output at mines during the season, businessline reported. The minister said the situation was being monitored on a continuous basis.
- National coal stock: about 123 million tonnes, equivalent to roughly 51 days of requirements.
- Stocks held at power companies: enough for about 23 days.
- Production disruption attributed to monsoon rains: around 10 days, with output rising again over the past two to three days.
The statement, as reported by businessline, did not break the reserve down by grade, producer or destination, and made no reference to imported tonnage. For traders and utilities, the operative figure is the 23-day plant cover: as long as domestic despatches keep pace with burn, that buffer removes any immediate pressure to secure additional cargoes, while a renewed spell of heavy rain would test how quickly the flow from mine to plant can be restored. The wider 51-day figure indicates how much material is available to refill plant yards once movement normalises.
