Forty-five power plants in India are operating with critically low coal inventories, according to government data reported by Reuters on August 27, as monsoon rains disrupt fuel supplies and hotter-than-usual El Nino-linked weather drives electricity demand higher. The number of plants with coal stocks below 25% of required inventory — or with critically low stocks to generate power for less than three days — has risen sharply from 31 at the end of July, data as of August 25 showed.
Monsoon disruption hits coal supply
Heavy rainfall in some of the key coal-rich Indian states, including Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, has hit mining and slowed the transportation of the fuel to power plants, industry sources said. Of the 45 affected plants, 40 are domestic coal-fired plants, according to data on the website of the Central Electricity Authority, a think tank linked to the federal power ministry.
Inventory drawdown in numbers
Commodities consultancy BigMint said there has been a significant inventory drawdown, particularly through August, resulting in stocks falling 19% from end-July levels. Coal stocks at power plants stood at 30.95 million tonnes, equivalent to about 10 days of operational requirement, compared with 12 in July, BigMint said.
| Metric | End-July | August 25 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coal stocks (million tonnes) | — | 30.95 | -19% (BigMint) |
| Days of operational requirement | 12 | 10 | -2 days |
| Plants with critically low stocks | 31 | 45 | +14 plants |
The Central Electricity Authority data underpins BigMint's reading, showing the number of power plants with critically low stocks climbing from 31 to 45 in less than a month.
Power demand rises as monsoon weakens
The lower coal stocks come at a time when the South Asian country is headed for its weakest monsoon since 2009, with uneven El Nino-linked rainfall driving up electricity demand in parts of the country. India has received 12% less rainfall than normal so far this monsoon season, leading to greater reliance on coal-fired power generation, particularly during the night when cooling demand remains elevated.
"The uneven monsoon has driven power demand, primarily for air-conditioning. But coal supplies are running hand-to-mouth," an official at NTPC told Reuters.
"There is a need for five to six rakes at some plants, but we are receiving only half that number," the NTPC official added. NTPC is the country's largest thermal power producer.
Maintenance delays until supply clears
As a result, the power ministry has asked some coal-fired power plants to delay planned maintenance of units until the supply situation becomes clearer, a senior ministry official said. The sources could not be named because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
The data point to persistent tightness in Indian coal supply: the number of power plants with critically low stocks has risen from 31 at end-July to 45 by August 25, and BigMint's 19% inventory drawdown highlights how quickly buffer stocks have been consumed. The NTPC official's description of plants needing five to six rakes but receiving only half that number illustrates the logistical squeeze at major generators. With monsoon rains still disrupting mining and transport in Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, and the power ministry extending maintenance delays, the near-term balance remains strained, according to the officials and data cited in the Reuters report. The Reuters report was published on August 27, 2026.
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