India Power Plants Reel from Low Coal Stocks as Oil Prices Soar Past $95
India's power sector is facing dual pressure from low coal stocks and rising oil prices. According to data, 58 thermal power plants are operating with critically low coal stocks, defined as less than 25% of the required normative levels.
This situation has led to local supply deficits, with Punjab reporting a 1,500 MW gap in power generation. The Ministry of Coal maintains that there is no national coal shortage, citing pithead inventories of approximately 76 million tonnes.
However, the current power deficits are largely tied to logistical hurdles in transporting coal to plants and performance issues at specific power stations. Global markets are reacting to heightened military tensions between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, with Brent crude oil prices climbing above $95 per barrel.