India to add 28 GW of coal-fired power capacity by 2031-32

• 1 year, 7 months ago (2023-04-07)
• David Flin

Asia 892 Coal 296

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India’s Central Electricity Authority has announced an update for its National Electricity Plan (NEP) that cites a need for a large expansion of new coal-fired power generation capacity. It states a need for 17-28 GW of new coal-fired power capacity, in addition to the 25 GW already under construction. This is despite it having previously ruled out the need for additional coal-fired power generation capacity.

The NEP draft also projects an increase in the load factor of coal-fired power plants to 55 per cent by 2026-27 and to 62 per cent by 2031-32.

However, India’s reliance on old coal plants for baseload capacity has raised concerns about the ability to maintain grid stability and avoiding power interruptions.