NEW DELHI: NTPC Ltd, India’s largest power producer, says it has approved construction of coal-fired generation projects worth 797.4 billion rupees (US$9.5bil), aiding the government’s efforts to accelerate capacity addition to meet rising demand.
The latest investment approval is for 6.4 gigawatt of generation capacity spread across three locations where the state-run company already operates power stations, according to separate statements. NTPC didn’t share timelines for commissioning the projects.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has doubled down on coal in recent months, prioritising energy security over environment and climate.
A growing economy and longer spells of heat waves have resulted in a surge in electricity demand, nearly three-quarters of which is met with coal.
NTPC will build 2.4-gigawatt projects each in Nabinagar in India’s east and Telangana in the south, as well as a 1.6 gigawatt project in Gadarwara in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, according to statements.
NTPC, along with its units and joint ventures, has 76.4 gigawatts of installed capacity, almost 90% of which runs on fossil fuels.
By 2032, the company aims to bring down that share to about a half, with the rest coming from renewable sources.
The country has significant potential of generation from renewable energy sources.
All efforts are being made by India to harness this potential.
The installed capacity as at 2022 from renewable energy sources was 156,607MW.
The total renewable installed capacity comprises of 46,722MW of large hydro, 40,357MW of wind, 53,996MW of solar, 10,682MW of bio-power and waste power and 4,848MW of small hydro plants.
The world’s third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases has added solar and wind power projects at a record pace in recent years and has set an ambitious target to more than double its clean power capacity to 500 gigawatts by 2030.
Still, coal is expected to remain a dominant part of its power mix for at least another decade. — Bloomberg
