NEW DELHI – India currently has no immediate intentions to expand its coal power generation capacity beyond 2035, as stated by a senior official from the power ministry.
“India aims to secure its energy needs,” remarked Pankaj Agarwal, secretary of the power ministry, during a Reuters interview at a power ministry event. “By 2035, we aspire to achieve a coal capacity of 307 gigawatts.”
He noted that it would be “premature to speculate on our plans beyond 2035.”
This year, India proposed a 46% increase in its coal power capacity from the existing 210 GW, while also aiming to double its non-fossil fuel capacity to 500 GW by 2030. Agarwal indicated that the coal power initiatives align with the nation’s energy requirements.
India has faced grid challenges this year due to the integration of surplus clean energy, leading to a reduction in power output for most months.
Agarwal mentioned that the country may decide on increasing coal capacity after a three-year period to assess the growth of power demand and the pace of clean energy integration into the grid.
He emphasized that India should also consider grid challenges and the expenses associated with storing excess clean energy in batteries and its subsequent distribution to the grid before making decisions regarding additional coal capacity beyond 2035.
India’s coal-fired generation, which generally constitutes approximately 75% of electricity production, has seen a decline on an annual basis in seven out of the eleven months this year, marking the most significant drop since 2020, as milder weather reduced cooling demands.
Nevertheless, numerous Indian utilities are entering into long-term agreements with coal-fired power producers to accommodate an anticipated increase in evening demand.
