PLF of thermal power plants in November falls to 51.6pc: India

With declining energy demand, the plant load factor (PLF) of thermal power units in the country fell to 51.6 per cent in November this year from 60.5 per cent in the corresponding month last year, according to a rating agency report released on Friday.

The PLF of the central sector was down to 60.7 per cent in November from 73.2 per cent in the year-ago month while at the state level, it was 42.7 per cent from 58.4 per cent, the India Ratings and Research report said.

The plant load factor (PLF) is a measure of average capacity utilisation of a thermal power unit.

The PLF for private sector was at 52 per cent in the last month, marginally lower from 53 per cent a year-ago, the agency report said.

In November this year, all-India energy demand declined for the fourth consecutive month to 94.6 billion units, down by 4.3 per cent on a year-on-year basis, as energy demand from industrial and large states fell, the report said.

According to the rating agency, the slowdown in demand was due to the economic slowdown, prolonged monsoon and early onset of winter.

On the supply side, electricity generation declined by 6.4 per cent year-on-year to 93.5 billion units while thermal power production witnessed a 10 per cent fall, the report said.

Transmission line addition has been lower in FY20 with addition of 7,083 circuit kilometres till November this year, the report added.