Coal stocks critically low, says Aluminum sector
With coal stocks running ‘critically low’, the aluminium industry has sought urgent government intervention to address the precarious situation and earmark at least 2530 coal rakes per day for sustainable industry operations.
In a letter dated January 28 to Coal Secretary Anil Kumar Jain, the Aluminium Association of India (AAI) pointed out that the captive power plants of aluminium industry were facing alarmingly depleted coal stocks of only 34 days as compared with the prescribed level of 15 days.
Aluminium is a power intensive continuous process industry, which requires uninterrupted and steady power supply, the industry association said.
AAI added that since August 2021, the nonregulated sector was struggling to ensure it received uninterrupted coal supplies.
“There is a backlog of over 6,000 coal rakes as most of the available coal and rakes are being diverted to the power sector as priority supplies,” the association added