Coal quality issues leave 1,700 MW unavailable at MAHAGENCO plants
Maharashtra faced power shortages in June 2026 that led to load shedding on 11 days, with poor coal quality contributing to partial outages that left more than 1,700 MW of generating capacity unavailable at state-owned power plants, according to the Western Regional Power Committee (WRPC).
The shortage became particularly severe between June 25 and 28, when the state faced a significant demand-supply gap. During a review of grid operations for the period, the Maharashtra State Load Despatch Centre (MSLDC) reported that around 1,700 MW of on-bar capacity could not be utilised, primarily because of coal quality issues at Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MAHAGENCO) stations.
The maximum partial outage at an individual plant was reported at Chandrapur, where unavailable capacity peaked at approximately 700 MW.
Load shedding
The generation constraints contributed to substantial load shedding during the four-day period. The highest curtailment was recorded on June 27, 2026, when load shedding reached 1,850 MW during the evening peak hour between 20:00 and 21:00 hrs.
Between June 25 and 28, Maharashtra recorded cumulative load-shedding energy of approximately 13.039 MU.
The coal-related constraints were compounded by unusually low reservoir levels at the Koyna Hydro Power Station, which reduced hydro generation available to the state.
Forced outages at private generating plants operated by JSW and RIPL, along with outages at state-owned Koradi units, resulted in nearly 2,000 MW of additional unavailable capacity.
Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) was also unable to secure sufficient power from the Real-Time Market (RTM) during the period, leaving load curtailment as the available option to manage the demand-supply gap.
Grid operation
Despite the supply constraints, Western Regional Load Despatch Centre (WRLDC) data showed that Maharashtra continued to overdraw electricity from the national grid even under low-frequency conditions.
WRPC strongly advised against overdrawing during such conditions because it could lead to the operation of Under-Frequency Relays (UFR), potentially resulting in larger disturbances to the grid.
Following its review of the June shortages, WRPC advised Maharashtra to arrange adequate additional power tie-ups in advance and undertake proactive power procurement to reduce the risk of similar situations recurring.
WRLDC also recommended shifting agricultural loads to daytime solar hours to reduce pressure on the system during the evening peak.
The featured photograph is for representation only.
