New Delhi: Thermal power plants monitored by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) had 33.5 million tonnes of coal stock on Sunday, which was sufficient to run them for 12 days at 85 percent capacity utilisation, Parliament was informed on Thursday. This assumes significance in view of projection of an unprecedented high demand of electricity during this summer. Electricity demand is expected to touch 229 GW next month as per power ministry estimates.
"As on March 12, the total coal stock available with coal-based thermal power plants monitored by CEA was 33.5 Million Tonne (MT), which was sufficient for an average of 12 days at a requirement of 85 percent Plant Load Factor (PLF)," Union Power Minister R K Singh said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.
In another reply to the House, Singh stated that as on January 31, coal (including lignite) based installed capacity was 51.27 percent of the total installed capacity.
The CEA has carried out generation expansion planning studies and published draft National Electricity Plan (NEP) in 2022 which reveals that the share of coal (including lignite) based capacity in the total installed capacity of the country is likely to reduce to 38.4 percent by March 2027 and to around 28.7 percent by March 2032, he added.
Studies also reveal that the share of coal-based generation is likely to reduce to 58.9 percent of the total generation mix by 2026-27 and to 49.9 percent by 2031-32 from 72.3 percent as of March 2022, he explained.
In another reply, Singh said, "At present, 211 hydroelectric projects (above 25 MW capacity), with an aggregate installed capacity of 46,850 MW are under operation in the country."
"41 hydroelectric projects (HEPs) totalling 17,803.5 MW are under implementation in the country. Of these, 32 HEPs totalling 16,567.5 MW are under active construction and nine projects totalling 1,236.0 MW are held up," he told the House.
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