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Coal Stocks at Thermal Power Plants Rise 24% as Lower Demand Eases Pressure

Coal availability at India’s thermal power plants has improved significantly, with stocks rising 24% year-on-year to 45.8 million tonnes by the end of September 2025. This improvement is mainly due to above-normal rainfall, which reduced electricity demand and increased hydropower generation. According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), coal stocks now stand at 82% of the required level of 55.7 million tonnes, compared to 68% during the same period last year.

Out of 185 thermal power plants with a combined generation capacity of 216.8 GW, only 18 reported critical coal levels—down from 29 last year. Among them, 11 are domestic coal-based plants. A plant is considered to have a “critical stock” when its coal reserves fall below 25% of the required level.

Domestic coal-based plants with 198 GW capacity hold 42.8 million tonnes of coal (82% of their required stock), while imported coal-based plants with 18.7 GW capacity have 3 million tonnes (79% of the required level).

India’s peak power demand touched 241 GW this year, lower than the projected 270 GW by the CEA. The government expects demand to grow at 7% annually over the next five years, and Coal India has set a production target of 915 million tonnes for FY26 to meet future needs.