Bharat Rakshak

Posted: **20 Oct 2021 07:44**

Thermal power in India is mostly from coal, and less on natural gas at this time. So Forex outflow is limited. RES, as predicted, is picking up peak power demand and not baseload. Energy from both sources are increasing, but RES is representing a smaller percentage of India's energy production despite great headline claims of nameplate power capacity. Thermal has increased from nearly 65% of India energy production to over 70% and will remain so for this decade. Cheap reliable energy for power and cooking to improve per capita GDP is the government's priority which will help reduce pollution, despite all the climate change hype that is being stated.

Coal is produced in India and it has 10% of the world's reserves. India also imports coal, but it is not for just power. Coal is used by the steel industry and for cement production. In 2021, India has imported less coal from previous years and domestic coal production is ramping up. India's coal import dropped in August despite higher fuel demand from power sector

The NDA government in the last 5 years has increased domestic coal production by 12%. This fiscal year of FY21 has seen a slight decrease due to covid, but for CY21, coal production should increase over 6% from the previous year to over 820 MT. The target, as the Ministry of Coal has stated for 2021-22 is 918 MT - over 30% coal production increase in 5 years! https://coal.nic.in/major-statistics/pr ... d-supplies

As the Ministry of Coal states, "Coal - Indian Energy Choice"

Posted: **02 Nov 2021 07:13**

Power consumption rises 4.8% to 114.37 BU in October.

India's power consumption grew 4.8 per cent in October to 114.37 billion units (BU), indicating a good recovery amid coal shortages at electricity generation plants, according to power ministry data.

Last year in October, power consumption stood at 109.17 BU and in the same period in 2019, it was at 97.84 BU.

During October, the peak power demand met or the highest supply in a day stood at 174.60 GW, higher than 169.89 GW in the same month last year.The data clearly shows that there is recovery in power consumption as well as demand in the country.

Experts said the recovery in power demand as well as consumption would increase further due to the government's efforts to ramp up coal supplies at plants and improvement in economic activities following the lifting of lockdown restrictions by states.

As many as 135 power plants with over 165 GW power generation capacity monitored by the Central Electricity Authority had coal stock of 10.08 million tonnes enough for six days (at daily requirement of 1.79 million tonnes) as on October 29, compared to 7.96 million tonnes for four days (at daily requirement of 1.82 million tonne on October 1, 2021).

The coal stock data shows improvement in the dry fuel situation at thermal power plants in the country with onset of winters and improved coal supplies.

Many states had imposed lockdown restrictions after the second wave of the pandemic hit the nation in April this year. Curbs were gradually lifted as the number of COVID cases fell. However, power consumption in September this year witnessed subdued recovery with almost flat growth at 112.43 BU mainly due to delayed monsoon (heavy rains). In September last year, power consumption was 112.24 BU, higher than 107.51 BU in the same month of 2019.

Experts said the recovery in power demand and consumption in September 2021 remained subdued mainly because of delayed Monsoon.

In August this year, power consumption grew by over 17 per cent at 127.88 BU compared to 109.21 BU in the same month in 2020.

The second wave of COVID-19 hit the country in the middle of April this year and affected the recovery in commercial and industrial power demand as states started imposing restrictions in the latter part of the month. The month saw year-on-year growth of nearly 38.5 per cent in power consumption.

Power consumption witnessed 6.6 per cent year-on-year growth in May this year at 108.80 BU, despite a low base of 102.08 BU in the same month of 2020. As per the latest data, in June it grew nearly 9 per cent to 114.48 BU, compared to 105.08 BU in the same month last year.

In July, it rose to 123.72 BU from 112.14 BU in the same month a year ago. Power consumption in February this year was recorded at 103.25 BU, compared to 103.81 BU a year ago. In March, power consumption rose nearly 22 per cent to 120.63 BU, compared to 98.95 BU in the same month of 2020.

After a gap of six months, power consumption had recorded 4.6 per cent year-on-year growth in September 2020, and 11.6 per cent in October 2020.In November, 2020, power consumption growth slowed to 3.12 per cent, mainly due to early onset of winters. In December, it grew 4.5 per cent, while this was 4.4 per cent higher in January 2021.

Posted: **17 Dec 2021 21:12**

https://twitter.com/Amitraaz/status/147 ... 14819?s=20 ---> GOI has accorded 'In-Principle' approval of the site at Jaitapur in Maharashtra for setting up 6 nuclear power reactors of 1,650 MW each in technical cooperation with France which would make it the largest nuclear power generating site with a total capacity of 9,900 MW.

https://twitter.com/Amitraaz/status/147 ... 61217?s=20 --->

Posted: **27 Dec 2021 05:53**

Power generation up 10% on year in April-December.

Supported by rising economic activities after the lifting of the coronavirus–induced lockdowns, power generation in the country is set to achieve two-digit growth rate. According to government data, power generation in till December 22 this fiscal year stood at 1,075.3 billion units (BU), representing an annual growth of 9.6%. The country’s coal-based plants generated 732.8 BU of power in the period, 13.1% more than the same period last year.

Thanks to a 15% annual growth in the country’s renewable energy base to 104 giga-watt, electricity production from environmentally benign sources increased 15.4% on year to 106.2 BU so far in the current fiscal year.

Total electricity generation in April-December 22, 2021 was in fact 5.3% higher than the corresponding (pre-pandemic) period in FY20.

Sources in the industry said that most of the load was borne by domestic coal-based power stations, as steep increase in imported coal prices led to imported-coal based electricity generation dropping 28% annually in April-November. Though around 145 GW of power plants import coal for blending with the local variant, nearly 18 GW are designed to run specifically on imported coal. The total coal-based power generation capacity in the country is about 209 GW.

Electricity demand in April-November of 916.6 BU in FY22 was 10.3% higher than FY21 and 4.7% more than the same period in FY20.

Owing to higher prices of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is not adequately available in the country, power production from gas-based plants fell 28.1% annually to 28.7 BU in April-December 22. Plant load factor (PLF) of gas-based power stations in April-November fell from 25.6% in FY21 to 18.5% in FY22. At the same time, PLF of coal-based plants improved from 50.8% in FY21 to 56.9% in the ongoing fiscal. The FY22 coal-based PLF was in fact one percentage point higher than FY20.

Given the high dependency of coal on the country’s electricity generation, state-run power distribution companies (discoms) remain exposed to an upward pressure on power purchase cost as the main fuel supplier is deliberating on raising coal prices. The company had last revised the rates back in January, 2018. Analysts at Icra had pointed out in October that “delays in tariff determination process by state regulators continues to remain an area of concern given that tariff orders have been issued for utilities in only 19 out of the 28 states for FY22 so far and the tariff hikes remain modest”.

As on November-end, discoms’ overdues — pending receivables of 45 days or more — owed to private power producers increasing 25.2% on year to 52,299 crore. To be sure, total overdues of discoms stood atRs 98,259 crore at that time — down 4.9% from a year ago — as the receivables of central government power stations fell 50.4% annually to Rs 22,978 crore.

The losses of discoms had increased from Rs 48,619 crore in FY16 to Rs 61,079 crore in FY19. The losses were down 37.6% on year at around Rs 38,093 crore in FY20. With revenue of discoms falling in FY21, due to disruptions amid the lockdowns to contain the coronavirus, discom losses are seen to have surged to Rs 90,000 crore by some agencies. However, the power ministry has termed such estimates as “grossly inflated”.

Posted: **20 Apr 2022 22:30**

CEA is yet to update Feb and Mar 2022 data but we're approaching 400GW in grid connected installed capacity. The January figure was 396GW . Total capacity including off grid is well over 400GW already, but installed capacity even at this level is just half that of the #2 ranked US, which is approx 1160GW.

Posted: **21 Apr 2022 17:33**

Eight-Hour Blackouts Hit India After Hottest March on Record

Eight-Hour Blackouts Hit India After Hottest March on Record
Rajesh Kumar Singh
Thu, April 21, 2022, 5:29 AM

(Bloomberg) -- An already sweltering summer and acute coal shortages are triggering blackouts across parts of India, raising fears of a new power crisis that could roil Asia’s third-biggest economy.

A surge in demand for electricity has prompted states including Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in the north and Andhra Pradesh in the south to cut off supply. The disruption, as long as eight hours in some places, is forcing customers to either endure the heat or look for costlier back-up options.

Although outages aren’t uncommon in India, the situation this year particularly points to a “looming power crisis,” said Shailendra Dubey, chairman of All India Power Engineers Federation, an advocacy group.

The blackouts sparked by the scarcity of coal -- the fossil fuel that accounts for 70% of India’s electricity generation -- are threatening to hobble the $2.7 trillion economy that’s looking to fire up all its engines after emerging from a record contraction caused by the pandemic. They are also fanning inflation at a time when policy makers are struggling to rein in runaway energy prices fueled by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Small and large businesses alike, including producers of metals, alloys and cement, are having to spend more on energy in a tight domestic and global market. A persistent shortage of coal could weigh on the country’s industrial output and become another “stagflationary shock,” according to Nomura Holdings Inc.

“Both demand- and supply-side factors are responsible,” economists led by Sonal Varma at the Japanese bank wrote in a research note on April 19. “Electricity demand has shot up, due to the reopening and as the country heads towards the peak summer season, but supply has been disrupted due to the reduced availability of railway rakes to transport coal and lower coal imports.”

India is seeking a return to a full year of growth after gross domestic product shrank 6.6% in the year through March 2021. But headline inflation rose to a 17-month high in March, above the central bank’s target of 6%, posing headwinds.

While a recovering economy and a revival in industrial production are causing the surge in demand, the heat wave is also adding to the spike.

Temperatures have continued to soar in many parts of the country, prompting the weather department to issue heat-wave warnings. The nation’s capital New Delhi saw 108.7 degrees Fahrenheit (42.6 degrees Celsius) on April 20, its hottest day in five years, according to the Indian Meteorological Department. The national average reached almost 92 degrees in March, the highest on record since authorities started collecting the data in 1901.

Power outages have upended operations at some textile mills in the western and southern parts of the country because the high cost of cotton prohibits them from splurging on expensive diesel-powered generators and other alternatives, according to Atul Ganatra, president of the Cotton Association of India. That will reduce cotton consumption drastically, he said.

Atul Singh, who runs a car dealership and repair shop in the eastern state of Bihar, said frequent power cuts and the use of diesel are crimping his margins. His firm spends more on diesel than electricity, Singh said.

Farmers haven’t been spared either. Mohit Sharma said he’s struggling to irrigate his corn fields in Uttar Pradesh. “We are getting power neither during the day, nor during the night,” Sharma said by phone. “Kids can’t study in the evening and we can’t even rest at night.”

Coal inventories at Indian power plants have dwindled recently mainly because of lower domestic output, transportation constraints due to a limited number of rail carriages and reduced imports as a result of high sea cargo rates. Power ministry data show that, as of April 19, electricity producers held stock that could last an average of just over eight days. Despite boosting output by 27% in the first half of this month, state-owned Coal India Ltd., which operates some of Asia’s biggest coal mines, said it hasn’t been able to keep pace with the “intense demand.”

“Thermal plants across the country are grappling with coal shortage as the power demand in states has increased,” All India Power Engineers Federation’s Dubey said in a statement Wednesday. “Many of them are not able to bridge the gap between demand and supply because of insufficient coal stocks at thermal plants.”

To be sure, a summer coal crunch has long been a routine affair, largely due to the inability of Coal India to scale up production and poor infrastructure. When the pandemic cooled industrial output, the lull in demand further slowed progress in adding capacity. The coal crisis returned last year, revealing the cracks as the economy reopened, with high prices of imports adding to the crunch. In September, stockpiles at power plants fell to the lowest since 2017, while metal producers pleaded for supplies.

There could be more pain on the horizon, said Debasish Mishra, a Mumbai-based partner at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. With monsoon rains around the corner, the flooding of mines and roadways will likely slow down coal production and supplies.

“Plants should be accumulating coal ahead of the monsoon season. But that’s not happening,” said Mishra. “With demand surging, we may be heading for a coal crisis worse than last year’s.”

Almost an year ago there were warnings and plenty of news about coal shortages in thermal power plants. We should have seen this coming and taken steps over the last 12 months to mitigate the situation. Its just mid-April, we have 2 more months of full summer, so unless there is a huge increase in output, those 8 hr power cuts will turn into 12 hr power cuts even in major urban centers. The single phased meter lines in rural areas are already seeing 12-14 hr cuts in Karnataka.

Posted: **27 Apr 2022 04:00**

Peak power supply crosses 201GW mark.

The maximum all India power demand met or the highest supply in a day crossed the record level of 201 GW mark showing spurt on Tuesday amid sweltering heat in large parts of the country.

"The maximum All India power demand met is 201.066 GW at 14:51 hours today," a power ministry statement said.

It has surpassed last year's (record of) maximum demand met of 200.539 GW which occurred on 7th July 2021, it informed.

The rising power demand reflects the economic growth in the country, the ministry explained.

In the month of March this year, the growth in energy demand has been around 8.9 per cent as per the ministry's statement. Further, it stated that the demand is expected to reach about 215-220 GW in months of May-June.

The government and other stakeholders are working together to ensure unhindered power supply and efforts at all fronts are being made and measures are being taken for better utilisation of various resources.

Posted: **27 Apr 2022 19:02**

We have been hearing these doomsday predictions with clockwork regularity in the last 2 years..."only 8 days coal left!"..."india could plunge into darkness soon"...etc.

And of course, next comes "the goremint is doing nothing...coal, power, railway ministries all incompetent".

Here's a "catch all" article on the situation:

https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/eco ... 2022-04-22

There are multiple angles, but at the end of the day these are just boring logistical issues (coal import/production/price)...will be tided over.

Need to get past dependence on this damn koila ASAP.

Posted: **27 Apr 2022 19:09**

Ambar wrote: those 8 hr power cuts will turn into 12 hr power cuts even in major urban centers. The single phased meter lines in rural areas are already seeing 12-14 hr cuts in Karnataka.

If that does come to pass, consider it a punishment for the incessant grumbling that isn't supported by facts.

The more intensely one rants about everything going to hell, the sooner the Universe shall conspire to make it come true for you.

Posted: **27 Apr 2022 22:13**

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-ne ... 86585.html
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/busin ... 31451.html
https://www.businesstoday.in/industry/e ... 2022-04-27
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/c ... 17494.html
https://theprint.in/india/governance/so ... ng/932175/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... wer-crisis

When one has to bear 40 degrees heat and deal with 8 hr power cuts , and your generator guzzles Rs103/litre diesel then rant is all one can do.

Posted: **28 Apr 2022 06:19**

^That response is exactly what I was talking about. I looked around at the news, and found/posted a single article which already said everything that is being bandied around in the media. Posting a barrage of low-quality links in response is basically spamming.

Posted: **28 Apr 2022 07:38**

These are nothing but doomsday predictions to affect market sentiment using platforms like Bloomberg. No exact details about the power cuts , only some general unsubstantiated anccedotal statements from a dealer , a farmer , some un named textile mills . The main take away

Although outages aren’t uncommon in India, the situation this year particularly points to a “looming power crisis,”

From HT article: reason tripping with 400kv substations affecting mumbai suburbs

Money control : Demand and supply gap , " . It hopes that demand will come down in the next 15 days as per the historical trend."

Business today : they are reporting from tweeter !! Reason of power cuts due to cable fault but actually hit job on Adani ..!!

Again HT article on Punjab : leakage in Boiler and repair activity with others brought down 1,980 MW plant’s generation capacity to just 660 MW. Another unit of 210 MW has gone out of operation at the Ropar plant after developing a similar snag. Both the units will take at least two days to become operational, said sources cited above.But emphasis is in coal shortage rather than the technical snag

I can go on but the main take away is

1. Early heatwave
2. record demand both domestic and industrial , actually we should cheer
3. International coal price increase having spiral down affect on spot purchases
4. Due to high demand , discoms developing snags as now they have to evacuate more power which talks about the poor distribution infrastructure of these discoms .

Increasing power Gen doesn't mean you can evacuate the whole generation capacity , depends on our T&D capabilities , if those are not agumented , there will be power cuts .

FTA with Australia will help in getting high quality coal . Our coals are not of high calorific value so blending at the ratio of 10 to 15 been in vogue for many decades with even our state run NTPC , lest some one start spewing Adani conspiracy

Posted: **28 Apr 2022 07:50**

It’s not a power crisis or a coal crisis.

It’s a payment crisis!

Worst performing states in default/overdue of electricity payments to Gencos

BTW, aren't they all non BJP states

and without any credible sign of payment, the GENCOS are not going to keep on supplying power

Tamil Nadu - ₹23,327 crore

Maharashtra - ₹19,646 crore

Rajasthan - ₹11,427 crore

Andhra Pradesh - ₹10,187 crore

Jammu Kashmir - ₹9214 crore

Source - PRAAPTI portal https://www.praapti.in/

Posted: **28 Apr 2022 07:55**

KL Dubey wrote:^That response is exactly what I was talking about. I looked around at the news, and found/posted a single article which already said everything that is being bandied around in the media. Posting a barrage of low-quality links in response is basically spamming.

Kind Sir, this poor soul who lives through the power outages anywhere between 8 to 12 times a day and upto 2 hrs at a stretch sometime doesn't care one iota about "yaada yaada yaada BJP ki Jai and everything else is propaganda".

If Hindustan Times, Bloomberg, Moneycontrol, Print, Reuters and any news media that does not support confirmation bias is "low-quality" spam than so be it! Here's another "low quality" new site reporting RK Singh, the power minister himself saying "the situation is touch and go and i can't say i am secure".

https://indianexpress.com/article/busin ... r-7552341/

And here's the same minister in October saying "all is well"!

https://www.aninews.in/news/national/ge ... 005175504/

Posted: **28 Apr 2022 08:39**

Ambar wrote:
Eight-Hour Blackouts Hit India After Hottest March on Record

Eight-Hour Blackouts Hit India After Hottest March on Record
Rajesh Kumar Singh
Thu, April 21, 2022, 5:29 AM
Almost an year ago there were warnings and plenty of news about coal shortages in thermal power plants. We should have seen this coming and taken steps over the last 12 months to mitigate the situation. Its just mid-April, we have 2 more months of full summer, so unless there is a huge increase in output, those 8 hr power cuts will turn into 12 hr power cuts even in major urban centers. The single phased meter lines in rural areas are already seeing 12-14 hr cuts in Karnataka.

Power cut is a fact , no one can deny that. But the only inference you have drawn based on those news links that's it's all because of low stock of coal is not substianted . We have multiple news floating about looming power crisis from last 2 years , yet we managed , how was it possible??

Even the links you have provided talks about the down time of distribution and generation infa with snags reported in both of them . How can it be attributed to coal supply ??

Yes the demand is high and we need to tie the gap through exploring new avenues of quality coal which fortunately will be taken care of by a large extent through FTA with Australia and also better transporation of coal Pan India through rail network , some work already done on that front . these articles should emphasize on the poor health of state discoms too but that will not serve agenda of those media pimps

Posted: **28 Apr 2022 16:39**

Either we can have Electricity or free no-Electricity

Posted: **09 Jun 2022 08:16**

Clearly, India's power sector has not melted down.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodi ... 022-06-01/

Of course there will perpetual "predictions" of a power crisis and collapse by useless media outlets like Bloomberg, BBC, Economist etc.

Posted: **02 Jul 2022 01:13**

India's power consumption grows 17.2 pc to 134.13 bn units in June.

Power consumption in the country grew by 17.2 per cent year-on-year to 134.13 billion units (BU) in June, amid severe heat and spurt in economic activities. Power consumption in June last year was recorded at 114.48 BU, which was higher than 105.08 BU in the same month of 2020, according to power ministry data.

Moreover, peak power demand met, which is the highest supply in a day, during June this year remained at an all-time high of 209.80 GW on June 8. The peak power supply stood at 191.24 GW in June 2021, and 164.98 GW in June 2020.

The power consumption in June 2019 (pre-pandemic period) was at 117.98 billion units.

Posted: **27 Jul 2022 00:28**

I don't know if this is the right forum for this post but I would like to share my thoughts on the importance of nuclear electricity/heat for India's defence and economic development.

Westinghouse is already working on small modular nuclear reactors of the size of a container and while it might be a while before this technology is commercially available it seems to have special significance for India. India as of now currently spends a good amount of resources on supplying heating fuel to troops in Siachen. Even if small electricity based nuclear systems are not available generating heat from nuclear isotopes is trivial and can reduce a lot of logistic burden in Siachen. With already existing stirling engine technology waste heat can be also converted to electricity.

Having small nuclear reactors is also significant because in the future wars vehicles may be driven by electricity and such electricity could be locally produced greatly reducing the logistical train. It also provides resilience to the grid infrastructure if under attack since smaller power generating systems can be installed rapidly.

An additional point of interest is nuclear battery. US has already supplied its troops with standard nuclear battery packs which last for 10 to 12 years. This development happened after it realised in the Afghan war about its long logistical tail due to supply of diesel to its generators. Such battery packs are commercially also available and they seem very relevant for future wars of India with drones and such automated robots playing an important role.

I would request the other forum members to also enlighten me if they have some inputs in this area. I don't know if India is already working in this area but if we collate enough data we can probably write a white paper for review by government

Posted: **01 Aug 2022 01:47**

Sounds like science fiction to me - but may be I'm ignorant.

US has already supplied its troops with standard nuclear battery packs which last for 10 to 12 years.

Any source for this ?

Posted: **01 Aug 2022 11:00**

Cyrano wrote:Sounds like science fiction to me - but may be I'm ignorant.

US has already supplied its troops with standard nuclear battery packs which last for 10 to 12 years.
Any source for this ?

There is a lot of work going on in the US and UK for small containerized Nuclear energy generation systems especially for the military because this is a logistics pain point for any expeditionary force.
But the nuclear battery seems to be almost science fiction, the only such "battery" I have heard of, are the nuclear power packs used to run deep space probes like the Voyager missions.
Edit.. here are some links
https://news.mit.edu/2021/nuclear-batte ... arbon-0625
https://warisboring.com/the-u-s-militar ... y%20exists.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/2 ... -in-a-c-17
https://newatlas.com/military/us-air-fo ... or-alaska/

Posted: **05 Aug 2022 01:08**

https://medium.com/war-is-boring/poweri ... 72975d7de8
This link talk about the prototypes made available to US Army already shared by vcshekhar.

The Army Research Laboratory has developed prototype nuclear batteries powered by tritium. Matching the Army’s existing BA-5590 battery pack in size and using the same connector, the Army’s nuclear battery can last for 13 years

.

Commercial nuclear batteries are already commercially available
https://citylabs.net/
https://ndb.technology/

The Modular Nuclear Reactors are still a way off but not really far
https://news.mit.edu/2021/nuclear-batte ... arbon-0625

What I think is more relevant for us is heat from a radioactive isotope could be easily made available. Isotopes with beta decay could be possibly enclosed in metals which can shield their radiation but will be always warm. It's something that must be considered for Siachen ... Can save a lot of gasoline transport.

Posted: **21 Oct 2022 12:32**

There is a great article about Renewable Energy in The Economist. For my surprise India is on the top. They are calling it 2nd green revolution. Must read. Please post it if someone has subscription.

Posted: **21 Oct 2022 13:29**

rsingh wrote:There is a great article about Renewable Energy in The Economist. For my surprise India is on the top. They are calling it 2nd green revolution. Must read. Please post it if someone has subscription.

Here it is ... https://archive.ph/Okopl. Please provide the parent link next time, it'll be much easier

Posted: **21 Oct 2022 20:01**

Great article, barring the obligatory ‘sectarian violence’ and condescension. It got me thinking that the GOI should work with PLI and foreign manufacturers to market ‘green manufacturing’. With all this renewable power coming online, one can sell things like ‘clean aluminum’ etc. to other countries. With the coming deindustrialization of Europe and the general inability of other countries to put up infrastructure, this could be another (lucrative) angle to Indian decarbonization efforts: exporting decarbonization to the world via products.

Posted: **23 Oct 2022 01:05**

srin wrote:
rsingh wrote:There is a great article about Renewable Energy in The Economist. For my surprise India is on the top. They are calling it 2nd green revolution. Must read. Please post it if someone has subscription.
Here it is ... https://archive.ph/Okopl. Please provide the parent link next time, it'll be much easier

Sorry Saar. Moi an kanjoos and ITphobe (please note the new word I coined). Every Thurday I get physical copy in phokat. So I could not give you more information. But next time will do better.

Posted: **28 Jan 2023 14:53**

India's Low Coal Stocks Threaten Electricity Supply

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/india ... ity-supply

India’s power generators have struggled to rebuild coal stocks so far this winter because consumption is rising faster than the rail network can deliver more fuel from the mines.

Fuel stocks are only slightly higher than this time last year, when inadequate coal supplies coupled with higher than normal temperatures in March and April contributed to widespread blackouts.

Posted: **03 May 2023 05:29**

Maharashtra’s dilemma.

GHG Platform (India) estimates that public electricity generation in Maharashtra accounts for more than 53 per cent of the total emission from energy sector. This amounts to roughly about 43 per cent of the economy-wide emissions of Maharashtra.

Most of the electricity generation in Maharashtra is coal-based, making the State a huge contributor to the GHG emission (9.83 per cent of India). A major component of Net Zero strategies is to achieve 50 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

Surely, the power sector in Maharashtra has to play a big role here.

Maharashtra accounts for nearly 12 per cent of the electricity consumption in India — the highest share among the States and UTs — if we go by the statistics of energy sales from different Discoms. Universally, Maharashtra exhibits a high share in India in all segments of consumption: 9 per cent in domestic electricity consumption (only after Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu), 14 per cent in industrial electricity consumption (only after Gujarat), and 15 per cent in agricultural electricity consumption (highest among States and UTs).

According to CEA data, per capita power consumption in Maharashtra is 1588 KWh which is much higher than that of all-India level (1255 KWh) in 2021-22.

By and large, Maharashtra is self-sufficient in electricity production, only 10 per cent of the total power is imported. However, Maharashtra is heavily dependent on coal based electricity (nearly 76 per cent), even though it also produces electricity from other sources, namely nuclear (6 per cent), bio (3 per cent), solar (2 per cent, wind (5 per cent), hydro (4 per cent), and remaining from other sources.

Moreover, Maharashtra has 6 per cent share in India’s total non-utility electricity consumption (captive power plants).

Major reason behind this is the large industrial sector.

Even though Maharashtra has the third highest renewable energy capacity among States with a cumulative capacity of 9,332 MW, amounting to 21 per cent of the total capacity (Power Sector Vision 2030), it will not be an easy task for Maharashtra to move away from fossil based energy.

Two options
In terms of generation, only 15 per cent of electricity is produced by renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, bio power and hydro sources.

With growing demand for power from domestic and industrial sector, it is a necessity for the State to increase power supply, for which it has two options under the net-zero scenario: either to import power, or to generate electricity through renewable sources.

The first is costly and uncertain. On the second, as an alternative to purchasing power from private generating companies, industries need to be encouraged to explore the possibilities of setting up renewable power plants and may be allowed to sell their surplus power, if any, to the grid, on a remunerative tariff.

Incentives like discounted wheeling and banking charges, net metering for rooftop solar installations etc. would encourage renewable energy captive generation. These opportunities can also be explored especially for the farmers, who can supply solar electricity to the grid.

The land underneath solar PV panels can easily be utilised for growing fruits and vegetables. For mainstreaming the renewable energy sources, the grid needs to be flexible to adapt to the patterns of generation.

Supply side flexibility can be enhanced through utility-scale battery storage supporting load-shifting and capacity reserve. Demand-side flexibility, which can be supported by battery storage or smart charging of electric vehicles, can help in effective integration of renewable energy generation and managing extra load to peak demand.

Posted: **22 Jun 2023 19:12**

India's power sector transforms into surplus in nine years: Minister R K Singh

PTI Last Updated: Jun 22, 2023, 05:49 PM IST

India's power sector underwent a transformation phase to become "surplus" from a deficit in the last nine years, Union Minister R K Singh said on Thursday.More than 185 gigawatt (GW) of generation capacity has been added "transforming the country from a power deficit to a power surplus", the Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister said while addressing a conference on the achievements of his ministry here.

The total installed power generation capacity currently is 416 GW. The installed capacity is now close to double the peak demand and India is exporting power to neighbouring countries, he said.
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The maximum demand till date has only been 221 GW, he said.

For transmission of power, 1.97 lakh circuit kilometres (ckm) of transmission lines have been added connecting the whole country into one grid running on one frequency with the capability of transferring 1.12 lakh MW from one corner of the country to another.

The aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses of discoms have declined significantly from 22 per cent in FY 2021 to 16.44 per cent in FY2022.

The gap between the average cost of supply (ACS) and average realisable revenue (ARR) declined from Rs. 0.69/kWh (kilowatt hour) in FY2021 to Rs 0.15/kWh in FY2022.

"Against legacy dues of Rs. 1,39,747 crores as on June 3, 2022, 13 states/ UTs have paid instalments of Rs 64,196 crores," the minister said.

In the green energy space, Singh said, India has witnessed the fastest rate of growth in the renewable energy sector among all large economies.

The installed renewable energy capacity (including large hydro) has increased from 76.37 GW in March 2014 to 173.61 GW in May 2023, reflecting an increase of around 2.27 times.

RE generation (including large Hydro) has increased from 190.88 billion units (BU) in 2014 -15 to 365.60 BU in 2022-23 (up to March, 2023).

About USD 78 billion in investment has been received in the sector since 2014 (including USD 10.3 billion in FDI). Besides, the government also took various measures to promote domestic manufacturing of cells and modules, usage of green energy and development of RE projects.

Read Full Story From Here//
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/in ... content=23

Posted: **22 Jun 2023 19:18**

Mollick.R wrote:India's power sector transforms into surplus in nine years: Minister R K Singh

The aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses of discoms have declined significantly from 22 per cent in FY 2021 to 16.44 per cent in FY2022.

some improvement is there , but still way to go....

T&D loss for For China/US/ Europe its higher single digit only.

Rampant Power theft (particularly peaceful community ghettos) is pass on as T&D loss.
Many states have 40-50% T&D loss.

Posted: **22 Jun 2023 21:59**

Only way to bypass theft in the Peaceful ghetto area's is to remove Overhead wires and introduce pre-paid digital meters.

Posted: **23 Jun 2023 17:52**

Consumers can now save upto 20% in electricity bills with the new tariff rule
ET Online Last Updated: Jun 23, 2023, 04:47 PM IST

Electricity consumers across the country will now be able to save up to 20 per cent in electricity bills by planning their power consumption thanks to government’s ‘time of the day’ tariff.

ToD offers varied rates depending on the time of day, allowing consumers to avoid using electricity for things like cooking and doing laundry at peak hours when power prices are higher.

People will now be able to schedule their chores like washing or cooking during off-peak hours (daytime or solar hours) when tariff is lower.

Under the new tariff system, a power ministry statement said, the rate of electricity during solar hours (eight hours in a day as specified by the State Electricity Regulatory Commission) shall be 10 per cent to 20 per cent less than the normal charges, while it will be 10 to 20 per cent higher during peak hours.

Beginning April 1, 2024, the ToD rate will be in effect for commercial and industrial customers with demand of at least 10 KW. With the exception of agricultural consumers, the new rule will take effect on April 1, 2025 for all other categories of consumers.

For people who already have smart metres, ToD tariff come into force as soon as these metres are installed.

Rather than being charged for electricity at the same rate throughout the day, the price a user pays for electricity will vary according to the time of day, the ministry said.

Read full story from here//
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/in ... 209500.cms

Posted: **03 Sep 2023 23:51**

Largest indigenously developed N-plant unit in Gujarat starts ops at full capacity
This comes a little over three years since the unit achieved its ‘first criticality’ – a technical term that signifies the initiation of a controlled, but sustained nuclear fission reaction – in July 2020. On June 30 this year, the unit had started commercial operations.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india ... y-8918642/

Posted: **27 Sep 2024 12:18**

CEA August Installed Capacity Report

Combined power generation installed capacity breached the 450GW mark in August. Added over 25GW in the prior year.

Posted: **27 Sep 2024 16:40**

Suraj wrote: ↑27 Sep 2024 12:18 CEA August Installed Capacity Report

Combined power generation installed capacity breached the 450GW mark in August. Added over 25GW in the prior year.

To put this in perspective of installed capacity by country (approximate):

1. China: 1270 GW
2. US: 1190 GW
3. India: 450 GW
4. Japan: 380 GW
5. Russia: 270 GW
6. Germany: 250 GW

The energy generated from electric power in KWHr or Units is more important.

The fiscal year 2024-25 target from CEA indicates 1,656,000 MUnits = 1.656 Tera Watt-Hours:
Annual Electricity Generation Target

Posted: **27 Sep 2024 22:17**

High energy generation requires more than installed capacity that is indeed growing strongly, I agree. On that regard:
India sets a ₹9.15 lakh crore blueprint for power sector to meet 458 GW demand by 2032

According to the plan, the transmission network in the country is set to expand from 4.85 lakh circuit kilometers (ckm) in 2024 to 6.48 lakh ckm by 2032, with the transformation capacity projected to rise from 1,251 GVA to 2,342 GVA. The Union Minister detailed that these enhancements are crucial for accommodating the increasing electricity demands and for supporting the integration of variable renewable energy (VRE) sources into the national grid.

Additionally, the minister announced the approval of 50 GW of Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) capacity designed to evacuate 280 GW of VRE by 2030. "So far, 42 GW of this capacity has been completed, with 85 GW under construction and 75 GW currently in the bidding phase. The remaining 82 GW will be approved in due course," he added.

Haven't found the actual document, but the press release is here.

Posted: **28 Nov 2024 18:25**

India’s RE Sector Hits New Low Tariff Milestone at ₹4.98/kWh in SECI’s 630 MW FDRE-IV Auction: JSW Neo, Vena Energy, Hero Solar Among Winners
July 26, 2024
https://solarquarter.com/2024/07/26/ind ... g-winners/

(The Adani deal with the AP govt was at ₹2.49/kWh and to sell power at that price, Adani allegedly had to bribe AP officials.)

Posted: **22 Dec 2024 22:17**

Back in December 2020, solar power tenders for projects in Gujarat received offers of ₹1.99/kWh a nd ₹2.01/kWh.
One of the reasons given by various analysts at the time that the Gujarat DISCOMs, purchasers of the power, had AAA credit ratings, i.e., the provider of power has very low risk that the bills won't be paid.

E.g., see
https://www.mercomindia.com/reasons-beh ... -solar-bid#

Ravi Khanna, MD of Aditya Birla Renewables, said, “The valuation in this tender is what makes a case for the low tariff quoted. It is a bid for pure solar project development. The Gujarat distribution companies (DISCOMs), who are the off-takers, all have AAA ratings. Above all, there is no uncertainty of signing power sale agreements (PSAs). We are a large group, and our economics are good, and we see value in the tariff we have quoted.”The high credit rating of the Gujarat DISCOMs coupled with the anticipated drop in module prices and a general sense of policy stability in the state seems to have been the main reasons for the bid breaching the ₹2 (~$0.0270)/kWh mark.

“The drop in tariff can be attributed to many things, and the good credit ratings of Gujarat DISCOMs is one of them. The fall in module prices is another. Gujarat being our home turf and a renewable-friendly state was also one of the reasons why we bid for the project,” said one of the participants in the tender.

Mercom, in a recent analysis, concluded that one of the biggest challenges solar project developers currently face in India is long delays in signing the PSAs with DISCOMs.

I can't find the Andhra DISCOM's credit rating in 2020, 2021, but e.g., see this rating from 2024 for one of the Andhra DISCOMs:
https://www.careratings.com/upload/Comp ... imited.pdf

This tariff of ₹1.99/kWh vs Adani's tariffs ranging from ₹2.49 to ₹2.92 per kWh to Andhra Pradesh and other states is supposedly one of the reasons Adani felt it necessary to pay bribes.

Posted: **07 Feb 2025 10:34**

Nuclear Power is an Area of strategic value. China has unveiled 4th generation reactor capable of operating at 750C which allows them to create both power and industrial hydrogen. India is still very far behind with second generation CANDU type reactors. They make 3000 tons of enriched uranium in a single plant.

https://decodingthedragon.substack.com/ ... ear-energy

Posted: **10 Feb 2025 09:16**

Important milestone reached this past week:

India hits 100 GW installed solar capacity: https://www.pv-magazine-india.com/2025/ ... -capacity/

The picture shown in the article is Adani Energy's massive renewable energy park, the largest in the world.

Also, this same week, Tata inaugurates a very large (4.3 GW per year) solar cell and module plant: https://www.pv-magazine-india.com/2025/ ... amil-nadu/

Total module manufacturing capacity is now about 65 GW/year.

Meanwhile, Adani Solar has got both polycrystalline and monocrystalline Si ingot and wafer production right, and is ramping up polysilicon cell and module manufacturing to 10 GW/year by 2027:

https://www.pv-magazine-india.com/2024/ ... -mid-2026/
https://www.adanisolar.com/manufacturin ... rformance.

India is steadily accelerating its renewable and low-carbon energy ecosystem (solar, nuclear, and others). Hindenburg, Soros, et al fawked. And eventually, goodbye to koila-tel-gas.

Bharat Rakshak

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