India is about to make the biggest jump in coal-fired power in a decade
India said last year it plans to add nearly 90 gigawatts of coal capacity by 2032, raising its forecast from just months before by more than half | Photo: Bloomberg
By Rajesh Kumar Singh
India will add more new coal power capacity than it has done in nearly a decade this year, as the country races to ramp up generation to meet rising electricity demand.
The world’s most populous country expects to add 15.4 gigawatts over the year through March 2025, the most in nine years, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named because the information is not yet public.
New Delhi is pursuing ambitious clean energy goals, but the reality of rapid economic growth has led to a long-term dependence on the dirtiest fossil fuels. Increasingly intense heat waves are worsening the situation, pushing electricity consumption to new records every year. Coal still generates about three-quarters of India’s electricity, and the government expects coal to remain the main fuel for at least another decade.
India has managed to add more than 100 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity in the past decade, surpassing the growth in thermal power generation. However, insufficient energy storage hinders the expansion of environmentally friendly electricity.
Battery storage is still not affordable in the competitive Indian energy market and most hydropower projects – an alternative storage technology – are still in their early stages. Other low-carbon options, such as large dams and nuclear power plants, are also developing at a slow pace.
India said last year it plans to add nearly 90 gigawatts of coal capacity by 2032, increasing by more than half its forecast from just months earlier. The country currently has 28.5 gigawatts of coal power under construction and according to locals, more than 50 gigawatts are planned to be allocated for its construction in the next three years.
Officials at the country’s energy ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
First print: June 19, 2024 | 12:19 pm IST