Share of coal-based power in India’s energy mix to go down to 50% by 2031-32: Singh

New Delhi: The share of coal-based and lignite-based power generation in India’s overall power generation is expected to go down from 72.3 percent as of March 2023 to nearly 50 percent by 2031-32, said Power Minister RK Singh in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Quoting studies conducted by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Singh said that the share of coal and lignite-based power generation capacity in India’s total installed capacity is expected to reduce from 51.27 percent currently to 28.7 percent by March 2032.

Coal-based power generation to go down to 59% by 2026-27

“As on 31.01.2023, coal (including lignite) based installed capacity was 51.27 percent of the total installed capacity. Central Electricity Authority (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 around 38.4 percent by March 2027 and to around 28.7 percent by March 2032. Studies also reveal that 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,” said Singh in a written response to a question raised in the House.

Phase I of R&D project for development of AUSC tech complete: Singh

Responding to another question, the minister said that the first phase of the R&D project for the development of Advanced Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) Technology for Thermal Power Plants on Mission Mode has been completed in March 2021. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had approved the R&D project for the development of Advanced Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) Technology for Thermal Power Plants on Mission Mode in August 2016. The project was envisaged to be executed in two phases with a total time duration of seven years. The phase-I of the project (two-and-a-half years) envisaged technology development, while phase-II (four-and-a-half years) envisages a Technology Demonstration Plant (TDP) leading to the establishment of the technology. AUSC technology had a target efficiency of 46 percent, which would be an increase from the contemporary efficiency levels of 38 percent (sub-critical units) and 40 percent (super-critical units) to 46 percent in AUSC.

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