Thermal power seems to be on terminal decline. Generation from India’s coal power plants fell 3 per cent in April-December 2019, compared with the same period of the 2018, and 9 per cent over the target for the period.
India has installed coal power capacity of 198,842 MW. Data given in the National Power Portal shows that the generation from these plants fell to 718,710 GWhr in April-December period of 2019, compared with 740,862 GWhr in the corresponding period of 2018, and the target of 791,401 GWhr.
Correspondingly, the plant load factor — a measure of capacity utilisation — also fell to 55.78 per cent, compared with the target of 60.10 per cent and the previous year’s achievement of 59.51 per cent.
