The Ministry of Coal has issued a clarification regarding coal supply to Uttar Pradesh's power plants, refuting media reports of severe power shortages due to coal disruption. As of September 15, 2026, none of Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited's (UPRVUNL) thermal power plants are in critical-stock category, with coal stock having increased from 7.25 lakh tonnes on September 1, 2026 to 8.41 lakh tonnes on September 15, 2026.
Coal India Limited (CIL) has been supplying an average of 17.7 rakes per day to UPRVUNL plants over the last 10 days, with average daily coal receipt of 0.90 lakh tonnes exceeding average daily consumption of 0.83 lakh tonnes, resulting in continuous stock build-up. CIL additionally offered extra quantities under Road/RCR mode to all Gencos/IPPs including UPRVUNL on September 3, 2026 to further build up stock at thermal power plants.
The Ministry highlighted that the Saharpur Jamarpani coal block in Dumka district, Jharkhand, allotted to UPRVUNL on August 13, 2015 under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015, remains unoperational despite holding reserves of over 973 million tonnes. Fourteen other coal blocks allotted for captive use in the power sector on or after this date have already been operationalized and commenced coal production. The Ministry has advised Uttar Pradesh to take urgent steps to develop this block to reduce dependence on external sources and secure long-term fuel security.
Operational issues at UPRVUNL plants include unloading constraints that lead to periodic restrictions on rake placement by Railways, limiting further augmentation of coal supplies. Despite coal stock exceeding 8 lakh tonnes, the current-month Plant Load Factor of UPRVUNL's thermal power plants stands at only around 48%, indicating that lower generation cannot be attributed to inadequate coal availability but rather requires addressing operational constraints at generating stations.