By NSB.News
New Delhi: India currently has 39,545 MW (39.5 GW) of thermal power capacity under construction, including 4,845 MW of stressed projects, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday. Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik said the ongoing construction is part of a larger strategy to meet the country’s rising electricity demand over the next decade.
Citing generation expansion planning studies conducted by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Naik said India’s thermal (coal and lignite) capacity requirement is projected at around 3,07,000 MW by 2034–35, against an installed capacity of 2,11,855 MW as of March 31, 2023.
“To meet this requirement, the Ministry of Power has envisaged setting up an additional minimum 97,000 MW of coal- and lignite-based thermal capacity,” the minister said in a written reply.
Providing an update on project progress, Naik told the Upper House that around 17,360 MW of thermal capacity has been commissioned between April 2023 and January 20, 2026. Apart from the projects under construction, contracts for 22,920 MW have already been awarded and are expected to move into the construction phase. In addition, 24,020 MW of coal- and lignite-based candidate capacity has been identified and is currently at various stages of planning across the country.
On plant utilisation, the minister said the projected plant load factor (PLF) of coal-based power plants by 2031–32 is estimated at around 61%. However, he cautioned that actual utilisation would depend on several factors, including growth in electricity demand and the pace at which coal-based and renewable energy capacities materialise.
Naik also highlighted that the generation expansion planning model compares new coal-based capacity with renewable energy and storage options to arrive at an optimal power mix. He noted that the all-India weighted average tariff from existing coal-based plants over the past three years has ranged between Rs 4.36 and Rs 4.58 per unit, with the lowest tariff at around Rs 1.52 per unit.