WebinarsNew
Explore Business Standard
Power Demand Forecast
State-owned CIL on Tuesday allayed fears of coal shortage, saying it has built up a buffer of 168 million tonnes (MT) to meet increased demand during the summer season. The company said it has an adequate quantity to meet the generation capacity of domestic coal-based plants, even as daily consumption of the dry fuel by thermal power plants soared. In a statement, the PSU said its coal stocks at domestic coal-based power plants stood at 47.6 million tonnes (MT) as on May 23, while inventory at the mine heads was at a comfortable 113.5 MT on May 24, up about 10 per cent from the year-ago, adding that this level is sufficient to meet 19 days of consumption. "Added to this, around three MT of coal is awaiting transit points such as goods sheds, private washeries and ports. Rakes on Run, that is, coal in transit at any point of time is around 4 MT, making a total of 168 MT of coal available in the system," the statement said. Compression of coal stock levels at coal-fired plants during
India's peak power demand hit an all-time high of 257.37 GW on Monday, primarily driven by increased usage of cooling devices such as air conditioners and desert coolers amid intensifying heat wave conditions, according to power ministry data. The peak power demand on Monday eclipsed the previous all-time high of 256.11 GW on April 25, 2026, at 1538 hrs. According to the power ministry data, peak power demand set a new high of 257.37 GW at 1542 hrs on Monday, and it was fully met. The Power Ministry projects that India's peak power demand will reach 270 GW this summer. Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has projected heatwave conditions this week in large parts of northwest and central India, as the mercury inched towards the 45-degree mark in many places on Monday. Isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi are expected to witness heat wave conditions between Monday and May 24, while heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are set to hit parts of
Rating agency ICRA on Thursday said power demand will rise by 5.0-5.5 per cent in 2026-27 as against a tepid one per cent growth in 2025-26, supported by continued momentum in industrial and commercial activity. The country's power demand growth in 2026-27 is likely to be supported by agricultural and household sectors given the expectation of sub-par rainfall amidst a potential El Nino, along with demand from industries as well as from emerging sources like electric vehicles and data centres, ICRA said in a statement. The all-India thermal plant load factor (PLF or capacity utilisation) level fell to 65-66 per cent in 2025-26 amid demand moderation and is likely to remain around 65 per cent in 2026-27, given the healthy growth in generation expected from the renewable sources and 6-GW capacity addition likely in the thermal segment. Ankit Jain, Vice President & Co-Group Head - Corporate Ratings, ICRA, said in the statement that the thermal power sector in India is witnessing a ...
India's peak power demand hit an all-time high of 256.11 GW on Saturday due to an intensifying heat wave, which increased the use of cooling devices such as air conditioners and desert coolers, according to the latest power ministry data. The peak power demand on Saturday eclipsed the previous record of 252.07 GW, hit just a day earlier on Friday, April 24, at 1548 hrs. According to the power ministry data, peak power demand set a new high of 256.11 GW at 1538 hrs on Saturday, and it was fully met. Experts stated that peak power demand is inching towards the power ministry's estimate of 270 GW for this summer season, as mercury levels have begun to rise. Temperatures in several regions have been significantly above normal - by 5 degrees Celsius or more - indicating a developing heat stress scenario across parts of the country, according to the India Meteorological Department. On Saturday, Delhi recorded its highest maximum temperature of the year so far at 42.8 degrees Celsius, ..