NTPC at the forefront of India's role in global energy transition: IEEFA

The state-owned company has total installed generation capacity of 51,410 Mw

NTPC, the country's largest thermal power producer, is poised to facilitate India’s drive toward ambitious national renewable energy targets and is leading the global energy transition, a report said.

"Despite its deep historical connection to coal-fired electricity generation technology, NTPC has recently moved to the forefront of India’s energy transition and stands to be the country’s key new energy enabler" said co-author of the report Tim Buckley, director of energy finance studies, Australasia at Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).

“The role NTPC is now playing in transforming the Indian energy sector in its ongoing shift away from the increasingly stranded assets of the fossil fuel industry cannot be underestimated,” said Buckley.

With economic growth at 7-8 per cent a year, India is the world’s fastest growing major economy. As a state-owned power utility, NTPC’s priority is to underpin that growth. 

While this responsibility has required expansion of coal-fired power generation in the past, this has changed. The year 2017 has already seen several watershed moments that have signaled a new era in India’s electricity sector.

“With the average new solar tariff in 2017 below NTPC’s coal-fired power tariff for its existing fleet, it is clear that renewable energy offers a cheaper way to provide power,” said Buckley.

“The ongoing Indian electricity transformation, which can be increasingly spearheaded by NTPC, will have global ramifications not least for the thermal coal sector which faces a technology driven structural decline."

NTPC has total installed generation capacity of 51,410 Mw which includes wind and solar capacity of 602 Mw besides hydropower capacity of 800 Mw. Under NTPC's corporate plan, the company was aiming to put up 1,000 Mw of renewable capacity by 2017. If hydropower is included, the target has been surpassed.

“Energy Minister Piyush Goyal’s plan to stop thermal coal imports by the end of this decade is being led by NTPC. Coal exporters who are looking at India to prop up volumes will be disappointed as China continues to reduce coal consumption," he further said.

“Global capital inflows to India are clear endorsements of this program. NTPC, as well as India itself, stand to gain from an acceleration of its renewable energy roll-out and further facilitation of the Indian government’s ambitious renewable energy targets,” concluded Buckley. 

Key findings:

• NTPC is a key stakeholder in India’s ongoing energy transition.
• Solar generation is now cheaper than NTPC’s tariff for existing coal-fired power plants.
• NTPC leads India in the drive to cease imports of thermal coal.
• NTPC’s strong balance sheet underpins renewable power off-take and is crucial for India’s ongoing development.
• NTPC’s current development pipeline represents its past more than its future.
• Overseas investors are seeking more opportunities in Indian renewables projects whilst abandoning the thermal power sector.
• NTPC would do well to focus its foreign investments on renewables.
• Globally, electricity utilities that are leading the energy transition are outperforming those left behind.