NTPC plays down power woes, says crisis not as bad as projected

State-run NTPC Limited on Monday said the power crisis was not as bad as projected. The energy conglomerate said the shortage was sparked by an increase in demand due to a sudden rise in temperatures in large swathes of the country.

"Load shedding will not increase. We have more coal available than we did last year," a senior NTPC official told CNBC-TV18.

The official said more than two metric tonnes of coal was imported in the previous fiscal year, and that India has already imported 1.7 MT of the 20 MT import target set for the 2022-23 financial year. Three MT of coal will be imported for government-owned power generator Damodar Valley Corporation.

"We have 14 MT of captive coal available; if we meet the 26 MT target for next year, we will not need toto rely on Coal India," the official added.

| Power situation is not that grim, country has enough coal for 9 days: Centre

Earlier in the day, state-owned Coal India (CIL) — which accounts for over 80 percent of domestic coal output — said coal supply to the power sector rose 15.6 percent to 49.7 million tonnes last month in the wake of the high demand for the dry fuel from electricity generating plants and stressed that it is planning to augment its dispatches further, especially to power plants in the coming months. The statement comes when several parts of the country grapples with a power crisis.

"With the intense demand for coal continuing unabated, driven by an upward spiral in the electricity generation, Coal India pushed up its supplies to the country's power plants to 49.7 million tonnes (MT) in April'22. This is 6.7 MT more supply than April 2021 when the power sector's dispatch was 43 MTs," CIL said. With higher output, CIL aims to increase its dispatches further, especially to power plants in the coming months.

NTPC is looking to increase its use of renewable sources of energy and has targeted 50% renewables by 2032, and theb ofifical said the company may green-light a new coal plant in Talcher, Odisha.

The official said NTPC is looking at private investment options to list its renewable energy subsidiary NGEL (NTPC Green Energy Limited)

"We intend to raise Rs 2,000 crore this year. Eventually, NGEL will be as large as NTPC," the official said.

Also Read | Coal India output grows 27% in April; despatch improves 5.8%: Coal ministry