Coal news and updates

India adds zero power generation capacity in Nov

Not a single megawatt (MW) of power generation capacity was added in India in November 2015, according to a delayed report released by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

The nil capacity addition during the month was along expected lines as no plant was scheduled or planned to come to operation.

The country had added 363.5 MW of generation capacity in November 2014, the data revealed.

In October 2015, however, India’s total power generation capacity addition stood at 1,444 MW, showing a decline of 25.99% as compared to 1,951 MW added in September 2015. 

The actual addition in October was much lower compared to the target of 2,118 MW set for the month.

India’s total power generation capacity addition during the first eight months (April-November) of 2015-16 stood lower by 19.07% as compared to the corresponding period in 2014-15.

The total power generation capacity addition during the first eight months of 2015-16 stood at 8,046 MW, down from 9,941.74 MW added during the same period of 2014-15, the data revealed.

However, as per the CEA, the total capacity addition during the first eight months of 2015-16 stood at 8,346 MW.

Of the total capacity addition during the first eight months of 2015-16, 6,990 MW was in the thermal sector, down 28% from 9,674.40 MW added in the same period of 2014-15. The addition in hydro was, however, up a whopping 407% at 1,356 MW from only 267.34 MW added in the same period last year. There was no addition in the nuclear sector either in 2014-15 or in 2015-16.

Of the total capacity added in October, 1,404 MW came in thermal and 40 MW in hydro. 

The following units were commissioned in October 2015: 

Thermal

1) Talwandi Sabo U-2 (660 MW) was commissioned on October 25, 2015

2) Uchpinda TPP U-I (360 MW) was commissioned on October 28, 2015

3) GMR Rajahmundry Energy Ltd Block-2 (384 MW) was commissioned on October 5, 2015

Hydro

1) Lower Jurala U-1 (40 MW) was commissioned on October 14, 2015

2) Baghlihar St-II U-2 (150 MW) was commissioned on September 29, 2015 (reported in October 2015).

According to the CEA, India’s total installed power generation capacity stood at 281,423.39 MW at the end of November 2015.

Of the total installed capacity in the country, thermal power generation capacity stood at 195,604.44 MW (170,137.88 MW coal-fired, 24,473.03-MW gas-fired and 993.53 MW diesel-fired), nuclear power generation capacity stood at 5,780 MW, hydro generation at 42,623.42 MW and renewables at 37,415.53 MW.

Following is the break-up of monthly capacity addition during FY15, FY14, FY13 and FY12 (in MW): 

# Figures may not tally due to revision of data by CEA.

*As per CEA data, the total capacity addition in April-Novembere was 8346 MW.

Source: ICMW