Govt Plans 60 GW Addition To Coal-based Power Capacity: RK Singh
Union Power minister RK Singh has announced that the government will expand coal-based power generation capacity by up to 60 GW, in addition to the existing 27 GW already under construction.
The decision intends to address the growing demand for electricity. The minister also conducted a meeting with stakeholders in the power sector to assess thermal power capacity expansion and facilitate solutions to potential challenges.
Singh said that they initially planned to add 25 GW to the 27 GW that were already being built. But now that the need for power is growing, the government has made the decision to start building at least 55–60 GW of thermal capacity. This capacity will be raised steadily to meet the growing demand.
In contrast to the current installed capacity of 214 GW, the National Electricity Plan for 2022–2032 forecasts that by 2031–2032, the required installed capacity based on coal and lignite will be 283 GW. Minister Singh announced the government's plan to increase thermal power capacity by about 80 GW by 2031–2022.
Participants in the discussion included representatives from the Central Electricity Authority, NTPC, REC, PFC, BHEL, state governments, and the power ministry, among other public sector companies. Participants in the industry, including independent power producers and vendors, were also present.
Singh emphasised the importance of states maintaining the availability of their thermal capacity and ensuring timely renovation, modernization, or life extension of thermal plants. He clarified that states that maintain and run their capacities will receive additional power allocations, emphasising the need for continuous power availability in light of the country's increasing power demand.
Acknowledging the rapid growth of the economy, Singh highlighted the necessity for 24x7 power availability and stated that achieving this solely through renewable energy sources is not feasible. He emphasised the need to add coal-based thermal capacity to meet the country's energy needs, especially as nuclear capacity cannot be rapidly expanded.
