Media reports attributing reduced power generation at Punjab's thermal plants to inadequate coal supply from the Centre do not present the complete picture. The Ministry of Coal clarifies that adequate coal has been made available to Punjab's power plants, and Coal India Limited (CIL) remains fully committed to ensuring uninterrupted coal supply for power generation across the country, including in the State of Punjab.

Central Government’s support to Punjab's coal supply chain

The Central Government proactively facilitated coal movement to Independent Power Plants (IPPs) in Punjab, since commencement of its captive mine production.

• Supply of coal from PSPCL's captive Pachhwara Central Coal Mine to IPPs enabled, subject to fulfilment of the statutory payment obligation to the State of Jharkhand.
• Utilisation of coal from the Pachhwara Central Coal Mine by IPPs not owned by PSPCL, including Nabha Power Limited (Rajpura) and Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (Mansa), is already allowed upto 50% of annual production after meeting the requirements of Specified End Use Plants. 

Coal India Limited (CIL) support to Punjab and lower PLF (42%) of PSPCL’s plants

PSPCL operates three thermal power plants — Guru Hargobind TPS (Lehra Mohabbat), Goindwal Sahib TPP, and Ropar TPS — with a combined capacity of 2,300 MW. As on 04.09.2026, coal stock at PSPCL's plants stood at around 117% of the normative requirement, reflecting more than adequate coal availability. Despite this comfortable stock position, the average Plant Load Factor (PLF) of PSPCL's plants during August 2026 was only around 42%. The low generation during the month therefore cannot be attributed to inadequate coal availability at the plant end.

In contrast, Nabha Power Limited, a Punjab-based IPP, achieved a PLF of around 93% during the same period, backed by adequate coal supplies from CIL sources, demonstrating that coal availability has not been a constraint for power generation in the State.

IPPs Need to Improve Lifting of Coal Already Offered by CIL

Coal India subsidiaries have proactively offered coal to Punjab-based IPPs, though booking and lifting have lagged:

• CCL offered 5 lakh tonnes (LT) of coal to NPL and TSPL on 30.03.2026 under RCR mode. Of this, only about 4.1 LT has been booked and around 3.1 LT lifted so far.
• BCCL offered 3.5 LT of coal to NPL, against which only around 1.3 LT has been booked and 0.98 LT lifted so far.

The timely lifting of coal by the IPPs, together with improved generation performance at PSPCL's own plants, are equally critical to optimising power generation in Punjab.

The Ministry of Coal reiterates that the Central Government has already taken concrete steps to enable coal movement to Punjab's IPPs from PSPCL's captive mines. Coal India Limited remains committed to maintaining uninterrupted coal supply for power generation nationwide, including in Punjab. Higher utilisation of PSPCL's own plants, coupled with timely lifting of the coal already offered by CIL subsidiaries, would help optimise power generation and address the State's power requirements.