The Ministry of Power (MoP) has decided that now onwards, states/independent power producers (IPPs) and Ministry of Coal may decide the blending percentage after assessing the availability of domestic coal supplies.
This is in view of the coal stock position reviewed in MoP. Coal stock position of state gencos now vary significantly. Many states have stocks more than 50 per cent of normative levels whereas many others still have stocks near critical level. Thus, the government has eased imported coal blending norms for domestic coal-based power projects asking state-run and private plants to decide on their own. After taking into account the stock level in plants of NTPC Limited and Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), it has been decided to direct NTPC and DVC to bring down the blending percentage to 5 per cent at genco level and keep monitoring the situation closely. The two companies have been asked to utilise the existing imported coal at their plants and ports and not to place further import indents.