TGGENCO Seeks Centre’s Nod For 5 MT Additional Coal Amid Peak Demand Surge

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Power Generation Corporation (TG Genco) has formally sought the Union power ministry’s intervention to secure an additional 5 million tonnes of coal from Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), stating that shortfalls in both quantity and quality of coal from the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) were constraining thermal generation at a time of record power demand.

Genco’s thermal stations are fully linked to SCCL for 28.87 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) under a long-term coal linkage approved by the coal ministry. The corporation noted that for FY 2025–26, linkage materialisation from SCCL stood at 76 per cent, while “quality materialisation” against the contracted fuel supply agreement (FSA) grade was around 40 per cent.

This gap is particularly critical because key units 500 MW and 800 MW blocks at KTPS Stage‑VI & VII and all units at Yadadri Thermal Power Station (YTPS) were designed for higher-grade coal (G9/G10). Due to inadequate supply of the specified grade, these units are being run at partial loads, directly depressing generation availability.

Telangana’s peak power demand has surged sharply in 2026. Reports in August indicate peak load crossing 17,000–18,000 MW, up from around 13,000 MW previously, driven by irrigation pumping, industrial use and heatwave conditions.

Against this backdrop, Genco stated that four of the five 800 MW units at YTPS had achieved commercial operation date (COD), with the fifth unit scheduled for September. Once all five units were commissioned, the plant’s coal requirement was projected at about 50,000 tonnes per day. The corporation argues that with national peak demand expected to exceed 260 GW in the coming months, all coal-based thermal units in Telangana must operate at rated capacity to avoid supply stress.