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Indian Power Plants Face Severe Coal Shortages Amid Rising Blackout Risks
M
Moneycontrol•07-10-2026, 15:51
Indian Power Plants Face Severe Coal Shortages Amid Rising Blackout Risks
- •Coal inventories at India power stations are near a five-year low, with over 40 percent of coal-fired capacity having four days or less of fuel remaining.
- •Unusually warm temperatures, erratic rains, and sustained power demand through October have severely depleted coal stockpiles.
- •Heavy downpours and rail capacity bottlenecks have disrupted coal supplies to power plants across the country.
- •Coal still produces nearly 70 percent of India electricity, leaving the grid highly vulnerable to weather anomalies and transport disruptions.
- •Rebuilding inventories before next summer will be critical to prevent widespread power outages during future heatwaves.
Key Questions Answered
Unusually warm temperatures and erratic rains have kept electricity demand strong for cooling and irrigation into October. Meanwhile, coal supplies have been disrupted by heavy downpours stopping mine work and ongoing bottlenecks in rail capacity.
As of October 4, some 69 power stations—representing more than two-fifths of the nation’s coal-fired power fleet—had fuel remaining for just four days or less.
Coal still produces nearly 70% of electricity in the country, making the power system vulnerable to weather events, transport disruptions, or mine strikes despite substantial solar and wind growth.
