India power crisis: Hundreds of passenger trains shut to make way for coal
2022-05-01 15:33:33Source: CCTV News Client
Coal stocks in many places in India have been running low recently, and they are facing the most serious power crisis in recent years. Indian media reported on April 30 that the country’s railway department decided to suspend more than 700 passenger trains, giving priority to ensuring coal transportation in order to alleviate the current coal shortage.
About 75% of India’s electricity comes from coal power generation, and the annual coal consumption exceeds 1 billion tons, of which more than three-quarters of coal is used in coal-fired thermal power plants.
At this stage, at least 108 of India’s 173 coal-fired thermal power plants are running low on coal stocks, causing power shortages in Maharashtra, Punjab and Jharkhand. In the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan, factories and rural areas face blackouts for four hours a day to ease power usage. In addition, many places in India have been hit by heat waves in the past few days, further exacerbating the power shortage. On April 28, India’s national peak demand for electricity reached a record 204.6 GW. According to Indian media reports, the coal stocks of coal-fired thermal power plants in India are only enough to last for 8 days, while it should be 24 days under normal circumstances.
Coal India, India’s largest coal producer, increased production by 27.2% in April in response to coal shortages. The railway department announced the suspension of 753 passenger trains to free up capacity to transport coal. Among them, 713 passenger trains will be suspended until May 25, and 40 will be suspended until May 8. In addition, the Indian government also requires local governments to increase coal imports and increase inventories in the next three years.
In the coming months, India’s electricity demand is expected to increase further, with a peak of 215 to 220 GW. Indian government officials hope that the power crisis will be eased when the weather in the south is cooler. But some experts point out that coal shortages during the months leading up to the monsoons tend to be when India’s coal plants build up coal inventories, and that coal shortages during this period could mean a worse crisis later in the year. With the onset of the rainy season, coal production and transportation will be adversely affected.