India again on the verge of electricity blackout, 1/4th power generation capacity shut due to lack of fuel & coal shortage
Most states are witnessing power cuts due to this crisis in summers.
At a time when India’s electricity demand is seen rising at the fastest pace in decades, almost a fourth of its total thermal, nuclear, and hydropower installed capacity is shut down.
According to the Central Electricity Authority’s operation performance monitoring report, 72,074.14 megawatts (MW) that comprise thermal, nuclear, and hydropower were shut down as of April 20. This accounts for almost 25% of the total monitored capacity of 289,581.24 MW. CEA’s monitored capacity includes thermal, hydro, and nuclear power units, but excludes 110 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy.
At the beginning of April, the total capacity that was shut down was 66,534.31 MW, but the lack of fuel has tripped more units.
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.
Shailendra Dubey, Chairman of All-India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) said that coal inventories held by Indian power plants remain tight at around nine days of stock. As per norms, plants near pitheads should have stock of 17 days and the those away from coal pitheads should stock for 26 days.
According to AIPEF, in the northern region, the worst suffering states are Rajasthan ,Punjab, Haryana and UP. In Uttar Pradesh coal stock is left for seven days, in Haryana coal stock is for eight days, in Rajasthan, the stock would last for 17 days as against the standard norm of 26 days coal stock.
Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh are the other states facing a coal crisis.
