Why India’s 46 Power Plants Have 0-5 Days Of Coal Stock Left

India’s thermal power sector is facing a growing coal supply squeeze, with 46 power plants holding enough fuel for only 0-5 days of generation as of August 26, according to Central Electricity Authority (CEA) data.

The list spans plants using domestic coal, captive supplies and imports, with some of the country’s large generating stations down to just one or two days of stock.

The affected plants have a combined capacity of 63.72 GW, or more than 28% of India’s roughly 224 GW of operating coal-fired capacity, as per a report by the Hindu BusinessLine (HBL).

Why Coal Stocks Have Fallen

The immediate pressure is coming from the monsoon. Heavy rainfall in coal-producing states including Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh has disrupted mining and slowed the movement of coal to power stations, as per a report by Reuters.

“The uneven monsoon has driven power demand, primarily for air-conditioning. But coal supplies are running hand-to-mouth,” an official at NTPC, India's largest thermal power producer, told Reuters.

The CEA data shows the impact at individual plants. SASAN Ultra Mega Power Project, with a capacity of 3,960 MW, has only one day of stock, while Yadadri TPP and Damodaram Sanjeevaiah TPS have two days.

Butibori TPP, Vizag TPP and Adani Power’s Kawai plant are also at two days.

Torangallu TPS (SBU-I), a 260 MW imported-coal plant, has no stock, while GEPL TPP Phase-I, which runs on washery rejects, also has zero days of inventory.

Demand Is Burning Through Coal Faster

Supply disruptions have coincided with unusually strong electricity demand. Hot and humid conditions have increased the use of air-conditioners and other cooling equipment, pushing thermal generators to burn more coal.

According to the HBL report, Crisil Intelligence said power demand increased about 9.1% year-on-year during April-July 2026, compared with a 0.5% decline a year earlier. Demand rose 10.9% year-on-year in July to around 171 billion units, the highest for any month.

India has also received 12% less rainfall than normal so far this monsoon, increasing reliance on coal-fired generation, particularly at night when cooling demand remains high.

Supply Logistics Are Adding To The Problem

The shortage is therefore not simply a question of coal availability at mines, but of getting sufficient quantities to plants quickly enough.

Coal inventories at power plants fell 19% from end-July levels to 30.95 million tonnes during August, according to commodities consultancy BigMint. That was equivalent to around 10 days of operational requirement, down from 12 days in July, the Reuters report said.

“There is a need for five to six rakes at some plants, but we are receiving only half that number,” the NTPC official said, as per Reuters.

With the supply situation still uncertain, the Power Ministry has asked some coal-fired plants to postpone scheduled maintenance as authorities seek to preserve available generation capacity while coal deliveries recover, as per Reuters.