Nearly 40% of India’s coal-fired power plants have critically low fuel reserves — OilPrice

In India, the share of coal-fired power plants with critically low fuel reserves has risen in recent weeks to nearly 40% of all operating thermal power plants. As OilPrice reports, citing government data, 74 coal-fired plants had less than three days’ worth of coal supplies as of the weekend.

Reserves declined over the week

According to India’s Central Electricity Authority, the number of such plants stood at 60 a week earlier. Despite the significant depletion of reserves directly at thermal power plants, the country does not face critical problems with overall coal supplies.

The main constraint has been difficulties in transporting fuel domestically to power plants in several states amid rising electricity demand. In August, monsoon rains disrupted coal supplies and transportation from resource-rich mining states.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Government measures and demand forecast

In early September, India’s Ministry of Coal said that local coal companies were increasing deliveries to power plants. The ministry said it was monitoring the situation at critical thermal power plants, where reserves had fallen below 25% of standard requirements, and was already taking measures to improve supplies.

Coal remains the largest source of electricity generation in India. According to the International Energy Agency’s estimate published in the Coal Mid-Year Update 2026, total coal demand in the country will grow by 4.2% this year, to 1.353 billion tonnes. The agency linked the expected increase to higher electricity demand and disruptions to oil and gas supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.