Coal Supply to Punjab Power Plants Remains Adequate; Timely Lifting from CIL and Higher Captive Coal Utilisation Key to Sustained Generation

The Ministry of Coal has clarified that reduced power generation in Punjab is due to plant outages, low Plant Load Factors (PLF) at State plants, and delayed coal lifting rather than inadequate coal supply. According to the Ministry, adequate coal has been made available by Coal India Limited (CIL) and from captive mines like the Pachhwara Central Coal Mine. The Ministry points out that unevacuated stock has built up at captive mines due to lower despatches, and IPPs have under-lifted additional coal offered by CIL subsidiaries. The Ministry emphasizes that timely lifting, better offtake, and monitoring of plant breakdowns are key to sustained power generation.