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Ministry Says Punjab Coal Supplies Adequate, Urges Better Mine Offtake
The Coal Ministry says Punjab has enough coal for its power stations.
It says Coal India Limited is helping keep fuel supplies moving.
Two private plants received about five trainloads of coal each day recently.
This was more than the amount those plants used each day.
The ministry says some reports blamed power cuts on coal shortages and plant problems.
It says those reports do not show the whole picture.
A government-owned mine in Punjab produced coal but did not send all of it onward.
The ministry wants Punjab to move that coal and use its own power plants more effectively.
The Coal Ministry said Punjab’s power plants have adequate coal supplies and Coal India Limited remains committed to uninterrupted deliveries.
The Centre said it has facilitated coal movement to Punjab’s independent power plants since captive mine production began.
Nabha Power and Talwandi Sabo Power received about five coal rakes per day recently, above their reported consumption.
Production at PSPCL’s Pachhwara Central mine reached 83.67% of its annual target, while dispatch reached 68.44%.
The ministry said roughly 3.21 lakh tonnes of coal remains unevacuated and urged Punjab to improve offtake and plant utilisation.
- Who
- The Coal Ministry, Coal India Limited, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, and Punjab’s independent power plants, including Nabha Power and Talwandi Sabo Power.
- What
- The ministry said coal supplies remain adequate but urged Punjab to improve coal offtake, plant utilisation, and breakdown monitoring.
- Where
- Punjab, including the Pachhwara Central mine and the Nabha Power plant at Rajpura.
- When
- The statement was published on September 13, 2026; figures cover recent days and the period through September 11, 2026.
- Why
- The ministry responded to reports of severe power cuts and claims that inadequate coal supplies and plant outages were reducing generation.
Coal supply is adequate
Coal shortages and outages contributed to cuts
Cause of Punjab’s power problems
Coal supply is adequate
The Coal Ministry said adequate coal was available and that media reports attributing reduced generation to inadequate supply did not present the complete picture.
Coal shortages and outages contributed to cuts
Media reports cited in the statement attributed reduced generation and power cuts to plant outages and inadequate coal supply.
Priority for improving generation
Coal supply is adequate
The ministry urged higher use of PSPCL’s own plants, better monitoring of independent power plant breakdowns, and timely lifting of coal offered by Coal India subsidiaries.
Coal shortages and outages contributed to cuts
The reported power crisis, including cuts of up to 14 hours affecting factories and farms, indicated that existing plant and fuel constraints were disrupting electricity generation.
Role of Punjab’s captive mine
Coal supply is adequate
The ministry said Punjab should evacuate about 3.21 lakh tonnes of accumulated coal from the Pachhwara Central mine to generate more power at its own plants.
Coal shortages and outages contributed to cuts
The figures cited by the ministry show that mine dispatch lagged production, with dispatch at 68.44% of the annual target compared with production at 83.67%, highlighting an unresolved supply-chain problem.
Key facts
- Recent NPL supply
- About 5 coal rakes per day versus average consumption of about 4.3 rakes per day.
- Recent TSPL supply
- About 5 coal rakes per day versus average consumption of about 3.8 rakes per day.
- September 2026 NPL average
- About 4.9 rakes per day, according to the ministry.
- September 2026 TSPL average
- About 4.1 rakes per day, according to the ministry.
- Pachhwara production
- 83.67% of the annual target from April through September 11, 2026.
- Pachhwara dispatch
- 68.44% of the annual target during the same period.
- Unevacuated stock
- Around 3.21 lakh tonnes at the Pachhwara Central mine.
Quotes
Coal Ministry
India’s ministry responsible for coal policy and supply
“Higher utilisation of PSPCL's own plants, monitoring breakdowns at IPPs, together with timely lifting of coal already offered by CIL subsidiaries, would help optimise power generation and address the state's requirements.”
thehindubusinessline.com
theprint.in
“This gap points to a build-up of unevacuated stock at the mine of around 3.21 lakh tonnes, which the State should evacuate to generate more power at PSPCL's own plants.”
thehindubusinessline.com
theprint.in
Sources
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