Coal will remain India’s mainstay energy source. NITI Aayog, the central government’s think tank, said in a report coal demand will be in the range of 1,192-1,325 million tonne (MT) by 2030, led by usage from the electricity sector. Coal-based utility electricity generation capacity in India is likely “to peak at about 250 GW” by the end of this decade, said the NITI report. It added that coal-based utility electricity generation in India will slow down, and is likely to peak a few years later, ie 2040. The NITI report said while coal-based thermal power generation will grow in absolute terms for the next decade, its share in the total power generation mix of the country will decline to a 50-55 per cent (from current 72 per cent) in the next 10 years. This, it said would be due to the changing capacity mix with increasing share of renewable energy.
