New Delhi: Electricity generation from coal-based thermal power plants increased by 10 percent in 2022-23 over the last year, Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy RK Singh told the Rajya Sabha recently. In 2021-22, coal-based power generation was 1041487.43 Million Units (MU) and it rose to 1145907.58 MU. “There is no decline in coal-based electricity generation in the year 2022-23 over year 2021-22. There is no report of shut down of any coal-based power plant due to shortage of coal during 2021-22 and 2022-23,” Singh told the Upper House of Parliament in a written response.

India plans to add more thermal power plants to meet energy demand

To meet India’s rising energy demand, the government plans to add more thermal power capacity in order to supplement renewable energy capacity until battery energy storage becomes commercially viable. The share of coal in India’s overall energy generation in 2022-23 was 73.1 percent.

Even as India has plans to put in place 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based capacity, or 50 percent of its total installed capacity, by 2030, it is likely that the rise in RE capacity will not translate into an increased share of green energy sources in India’s total energy mix. According to a projection by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the share of non-fossil based capacity is likely to increase to 57.4 percent by the end of 2026-27 and may likely to further increase to 68.4 percent by the end of 2031-32. However, the share of RE in total power generation is expected to be only be around 35.04 percent by 2026-27 and 43.96 percent by 2031-32.

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