India coal stocks at power plants sink to 5-year low

India’s coal stocks at linkage coal-fired power plants fell to 28.2Mt as of 24-Aug, down -40% YoY, extending the drawdown from 38Mt at end-Jul’26.

Despite a slow start to the monsoon, heavy rainfall has since disrupted mining and dispatch, including at coal mining operations in Jharkhand, flooding pits, haul roads and stockyards.

Meanwhile, average daily maximum power demand rose +9.4% YoY in 1H-Aug’26, with generation up +7.6% YoY. A -17% YoY decline in hydropower pushed coal-fired generation +6% higher to 58.1TWh. With consumption outpacing replenishment, stocks fell to 9.9 days of cover as of 23-Aug, down -21.7% MoM and -42.3% YoY, approaching the 5-year low of 7.8 days.

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