India to step up gas imports to address summer power demand: Report
India has asked state-run firms to increase imports of natural gas in anticipation of higher power demand next summer, three government sources said, aiming to avoid repeating a power crisis in April that was its worst in more than six years.
While the share of natural gas in India’s power generation was just 1.5% this year, down from 3.3% in 2019 due to limited local availability and high global prices, the authorities see it as a crucial stop-gap power source for crunch times, especially when intense summer heat drives up air conditioning use.
An unrelenting heatwave this year sparked unprecedented electricity use in April, when power demand outstripped estimates by more than 7% and led to widespread power outages.
