The installed generating capacity is approximately 395.6 GW as of February 28, 2022, which is sufficient to meet the electricity demand in the country.
India is not facing a power crisis as installed electricity generation capacity was 395.6 gigawatts (GW), against peak demand of 203 GW recorded in 2021-22, parliament was informed on Thursday. “There is no power crisis in the country.
The installed generating capacity is approximately 395.6 GW as of February 28, 2022, which is sufficient to meet the electricity demand in the country. The peak demand during the current year was only 203 GW,” Energy Minister RK Singh said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
In another reply to the House of Representatives, the Minister informed the House that according to information from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), coal imports have been reduced to 22.7 MT (million tons) in 2021-22 (April-January) compared to 39 tons in the same period last year, mainly due to the high imported coal price on the international market.
The shortage of imported coal has been offset by the increased supply of domestic coal, from 442.6 tons in 2020-21 (April-January) to 547.2 tons in 2021-22 (April-January). For example, he stated that the generation loss due to reduced coal imports has been offset by increased generation from domestic coal plants.
“We aim to have 500 GW installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based capacity (hydro, nuclear, solar, wind, biomass, etc.) by 2030, he also told the House of Representatives.
The response showed that 938.36 billion units (BU) of electricity are generated from coal thermal power plants in April-February (2021-22) compared to 850.89 BU in the same period of 2020-21. Electricity production from coal-fired power plants was 950.93 BU (2020-21), 961.21 BU (2019-20) and 987.68 BU (2018-19). The power was generated with the total coal-based controlled capacity of 203.89 GW in the country.
The minister told the House that in fiscal year 2020-21 there was a decrease in coal-fired electricity produced in the country compared to the previous year 2019-2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, he argues that coal generation has increased in the current year 2021-2022 (until February 2022) compared to the same period of the previous year. On March 6, 2022, the coal-based generation capacity is 2.03.889.5 MW of the total capacity of 395.592.86 MW, or about 52 percent.
According to the projections of the optimal mix of generation capacity for 2029-30 prepared by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the capacity for coal-based thermal projects will be approximately 267 GW in 2030. This is of the total projected capacity of 817 GW, ie approximately 32 percent, due to the corresponding increase in power generation capacity from non-fossil fuels.
In another reply to the House of Representatives, the minister said there is 1,16,766 MW of power generation capacity under construction, including 72,606 MW renewable (including major hydropower projects), 15,700 MW nuclear and 28,460 MW thermal. The increasing demand for power in the country is met with a commensurate increase in power generation.
A generation capacity of 15,978.84 MW has been added during the year 2021-22 (to February 28, 2022), including 3,825 MW thermal, 213 MW hydropower (more than 25 MW capacity) and 11,940.84 MW from other renewable energy sources
This post No power crisis in India, generating capacity exceeds peak demand: Energy Minister RK Singh
was original published at “https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/no-power-crisis-in-india-generation-capacity-greater-than-peak-demand-power-minister-rk-singh/2461846/”
