Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy ordered the energy department to initiate measures to procure coal from Mahanadi Coalfields and Coal India for power generation at Yadadri Thermal Power Station after taking a serious view of the stoppage of power generation at the Yadadri Thermal Power Station (YTPS) due to a coal shortage.
At a high-level review of the energy sector, he directed Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to hold a meeting with Union coal minister G. Kishan Reddy to address the coal crisis for power generation in the state. Genco officials were ordered to commence power generation in full installed capacity from the YTPS before Dasara.
Revanth Reddy sought details of the supply of quality coal to the thermal power units. The officials said G9 grade coal was required for generation at the YTPS and the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) did not have the coal blocks for the purpose.
The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister inquired about the possibilities of sourcing G9 grade coal from SCCL. The officials clarified that Singareni could not supply G9 coal because the previous BRS government had not participated in the coal block auctions. The officials also told the Chief Minister that 14 coal blocks at Singareni had been closed.
Revanth Reddy raised questions on the construction of the YTPS during previous BRS regime using a specific technology requiring only G9 quality coal which was unavailable with the SCCL. The meeting reviewed in detail the decision to construct the YTPS far away from the pithead (adjacent to coal mines) and the additional financial burden placed on the state due to coal supply logistics. Officials briefed the Chief Minister that the YTPS was constructed at a distance due to political reasons by the BRS government, and lack of availability of the specific grade of coal was the reason for the failure to achieve full-scale power generation there.
As per the official reports, the additional financial burden on the state government to supply coal to the thermal centre was Rs 40,000 crore.
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