Page 4 - India Power Production

Statsguru: Rising summer temperatures push power demand in India

Increased use of cooling equipment during heatwaves is said to be a key reason, although only around a quarter of households own air conditioners or air coolers in India

Delhi power demand all-time high at 8,000 Mw amid intense summer heat

Delhi's peak power demand reached an all-time high of 7,717 MW on Tuesday afternoon amid intense summer heat, Discom officials said. According to the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC), Delhi, real-time data, the peak demand of the city broke all previous records. It reached 7,717 MW at 3.33 pm, they said. Delhi's previous all-time high peak power demand was recorded at 7,695 MW on June 29, 2022, officials said. The national capital is reeling under intense heat with a steady temperature rise. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heat wave conditions in many parts of Delhi and severe heatwave conditions in some areas. It has also issued a red alert for the next four days. According to the seven-day forecast, the maximum temperature will be in the range of 44 to 47 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature on Tuesday settled at 30.7 degrees Celsius, four notches above normal, according to the IMD. The maximum temperature of the day is expected to be around 45 deg

'Measures in place': Govt gears up to meet peak power demand in May, June

The government has taken adequate measures to meet the estimated 235 GW peak power demand in May and 240 GW in June, according to an official statement. "With various measures, we have been able to successfully meet the peak evening power demand of 224 GW during April 2024," the Ministry of Power on Friday. The power demand is projected to peak at 235 GW during the day-time and 225 GW during evening hours for May and 240 GW during day-time and 235 GW during evening hours for June 2024, it said in the statement. The power ministry has estimated around 260 GW of peak demand during this summer season. Elaborating on the measures, the ministry said section 11 directions have been issued to gas-based power plants besides coal-based units to make full capacity available for electricity generation. The optimisation of hydropower generation has made available an additional 4 GW for meeting the demand during May and June. Further, the shifting of planned maintenance and minimisation of pa

Govt projects biggest power shortfall in 14 years, races to curb outages

The deficit also follows delays, a government source said, in the commissioning of 3.6 gigawatts (GW) of new coal-fired plants which had been targeted to be operational before March

No relief to Kerala; SC refers plea on borrowing to Constitution bench

Supreme court referred the plea filed by the State against the Centre over interference with the State's power to borrow and regulate its own finance to a Constitution bench

India's power consumption subdued at 1.4% to 129.89 bn units in March

India's power consumption growth remained subdued at 1.4 per cent to 129.89 billion units (BU) in March as compared to the year-ago period mainly due to pleasant weather, according to government data. In March 2023, power consumption stood at 128.12 BU, lower than 128.47 BU recorded in the same month a year earlier, the data showed. The highest supply in a day (peak power demand) rose to 221.70 GW in March 2024 as opposed to 208.92 GW in March 2023 and 199.43 GW in March 2022. Experts said power consumption as well as demand growth remained subdued in March as the weather remained pleasant across the country and people did not feel the need for heating or cooling appliances, especially in north India. The power ministry has estimated around 260 GW of peak demand during summer. The experts said power demand as well as consumption will see robust growth April onwards with the onset of summer. The power ministry had estimated the country's electricity demand to touch 229 GW during s

SSEL aims to make new plant operational in Jul-Sep qtr, says CMD Reddy

Transformers maker Shirdi Sai Electricals Ltd (SSEL) looks to start operations at its new Rs 300 crore unit in Andhra Pradesh by the September quarter, its CMD N Viseswar Reddy said. SSEL is setting up a facility to manufacture conductors in the YSR District of Andhra Pradesh at an investment cost of Rs 300 crore, Reddy told PTI. The plant having an annual capacity of 300 tonnes is being set up over 8 acres, he said, adding that the plan is to make the plant operational by the July-September period of 2024-25. Conductors are a key element of a transmission line project. The plant is being set up in two phases. The trial production will begin by the end of this month, while the peak capacity of phase 1 (200 tonnes) will be achieved in the first quarter of the next fiscal year. Reddy further said SSEL is also into transmission EPC projects and around 50 per cent of the conductors' production will be consumed by the company's transmission business. The remaining will be sold in the

NTPC crosses 400 bn units power generation mark in FY24, eyes green energy

State-owned NTPC on Thursday said its electricity generation has crossed 400 billion units (BU) this fiscal year. In FY23, the company had generated 399.3 BU, a company statement said. According to the statement, till March 13 of FY24, NTPC coal stations recorded a plant loading factor (PLF or capacity utilisation) of 77.06 per cent. During the fiscal year, the company recorded the highest ever single-day generation of 1,428 MU (million units) on September 1, 2023. NTPC has an installed capacity of 75.4 GW, while 18 GW capacity including 5 GW renewables is under construction. The company is committed to achieving 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032. NTPC has also ventured into various new business areas including e-mobility, waste-to-energy, green hydrogen solutions and participated in the bidding for power distribution of Union Territories. It is India's largest integrated power utility, contributing 1/4th of the power requirement of the country.

India's coal output reaches 881 MT in Apr-Feb, likely to hit target

India produced 880.72 million tonne (MT) of coal in April-February this fiscal and is now just 119.28 MT away from its 1 billion tonne coal production target for FY24. In 2022-23, India's total coal output was 893 million tonnes (MT). For the ongoing 2023-24 fiscal, the government has a target to produce 1 billion tonne (BT) of coal. The cumulative coal production in April-February 2024 grew over 12 per cent to 880.72 MT (provisional) compared to 785.39 MT during the same period of FY23, the Ministry of Coal said in a statement on Tuesday. The country's coal produced rose 12 per cent to 96.60 million tonne (MT) in February against 86.38 MT a year ago. In February, the production of state-owned giant Coal India Ltd (CIL) rose 8 per cent to 74.76 MT (provisional) from 68.78 MT in February 2023, the ministry said. The cumulative coal dispatch up to February 2024 increased over 11 per cent to 882.44 MT compared to 794.41 MT in the year-ago period. The coal dispatch grew 13.63 per cen

Govt extends mandate for power producers to import 6% of coal needs

Coal accounts for about 75% of India's power generation, with coal-fired plants accounting for more than three quarters of India's use of the polluting fuel

Govt amends rules to mandate gencos to give surplus power to exchanges

The government on Friday said that the rules related to surplus power and late payment surcharge have been amended to ensure adequate supply of electricity to consumers and meet the growing demand. The Government of India has amended the Electricity (Late Payment Surcharge and Related Matters) Rules of 2022 which will enhance the reliability of power supply for all consumers, a power ministry statement said. Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy R K Singh said that a key amendment which has been made is related to surplus power which is within the declared generation capacity but not requisitioned by distribution companies. The minister said that some power generators were not offering this surplus power in the market, thus resulting in unused power capacity at the national level. To address this issue and optimize the use of available power, power generators that do not offer their surplus power will now not be eligible to claim capacity or fixed charges ...

Power consumption rises over 8% to 127.79 billion units in February

India's power consumption grew over 8 per cent to 127.79 Billion Units (BU) in February as compared to the year-ago period, according to government data. In February 2023, power consumption stood at 118.29 BU, higher than 108.03 BU recorded in the same month a year ago, the data showed. There were 29 days in February as 2024 is a leap year. Thus the growth rate of power consumption in February is slightly higher. The peak power demand met -- the highest supply in a day -- rose to 222 GW in February 2024. The peak power supply stood at 209.76 GW in February 2023 and 193.58 GW in February 2022. Experts said power consumption as well as demand improved in February as mercury remained low during the month, especially in north India. The prolonged cold wave resulted in increased use of heating equipment like heaters, blowers, and geysers leading to rise in power demand as well as consumption. The power ministry had estimated the country's electricity demand to touch 229 GW during summ

Power consumption grows 7.5% to 1354.97 bn units in FY23-24 from Apr-Jan

India's power consumption increased 7.5 per cent on-year to 1354.97 billion units (BU) in the April-January period of this financial year, indicating an uptick in economic activities across the country. Power consumption in the country has increased to 1354.97 billion units (BU) in the April-January period of this financial year, from 1259.49 BU in the April-January period of fiscal 2022-23, according to government data. It was 1505.91 BU in the entire fiscal year of 2022-23, the data showed. Experts believe the 7.5 per cent growth in power consumption in the country clearly shows a perk up in economic activities in the first 10 months of this fiscal year. They said power consumption grew in August, September and October, mainly due to humid weather conditions, and a pick-up in industrial activities ahead of the festive season. Experts are predicting a steady power consumption growth due to improvement in economic activities and cold wave conditions in February. They are of the vi

Delhi discoms, NPCL bag top rating of power distribution cos in CSRD report

On renewable energy goals, Singh said, "We have made necessary changes to make renewable energy green"

Power sector financer REC likely to lead National Rooftop Solar scheme

Sources said REC will be made the nodal agency for the scheme to spread its reach across the country and plug the inefficiencies

Semiconductor: The new driver of geopolitical balance, economic growth

Semiconductors stand as the linchpin of a modern technological landscape, with their significance across a myriad of industries, from automobiles to aerospace, defence, and healthcare

India, Russia sign deal for future units of Kudankulam power plant in TN

Jaishankar is expected to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday, and the two ministers plan to discuss bilateral ties as well as the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza

Govt to focus on coal-fired power generation in 2024 for energy security

India will focus on setting up more coal-fired power projects as well as keep adding renewable generation capacity to achieve 24x7 electricity supply for all in 2024 amid economic expansion and the need to ensure energy security in these times of rising geopolitical uncertainties. In a reflection of ambitious plans, the Union power ministry has planned a whooping 91 GW of coal-based thermal power generation capacity entailing an investment of Rs 7.28 lakh crore over the next few years. Talking to PTI, Union Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh said, "24X7 supply of power is right of the consumer. Similarly, energy security is of paramount importance for us. You have seen what happened in Europe due to the Russia-Ukraine war." At present, average power supply across India is 23.50 hours in urban areas and 22 hours in rural areas, he said. Singh also said that the coal-based thermal power capacity will insulate the country from any geopolitical disruption and ensure ..

Peak power demand likely to touch 350,670 MW mark by 2030-31: Centre

The peak electricity demand in India is expected to touch 3,50,670 MW mark by 2030-31, and the government is taking various measures to meet the increased demand, Union Minister R K Singh has said. The peak demand has gone up from 1,35,918 MW in 2013-14 to 2,43,271 MW in September 2023. This is a rise of almost 79 per cent and the demand has been met, the minister for power said on Thursday. A series of concerted measures have led to 70 per cent increase in generation capacity from 2,48,554 MW in March 2014 to 4 25,536 MW in October 2023, he said in Lok Sabha. "As per 20th Electric Power Survey (EPS) report published in November 2022, the peak electricity demand in the country in 2030-31 is expected to be 3,50,670 MW. We have taken steps to meet the increased demand for power in the country," Singh said. The minister said 27,180 MW of thermal capacity is under construction, 12,000 MW has been bid out and 19,000 MW is under clearances. The total anticipated thermal capacity additio

For us, India may become larger than China: Schneider Electric CEO

Peter Herweck, chief executive officer (CEO), spoke to Amritha Pillay about India outpacing global growth, labour-related challenges, and growth drivers