Coal-fired generation has borne the brunt of the erosion of electricity demand induced by Covid-19 pandemic. In the first 33 days of this fiscal (till May 3), coal-based generation slumped 33,000 Gw hours, indicating that coal-fired generation suffered 100 per cent of the power demand loss, compared to its 71 per cent share in total generation, said a report by US-based think tank- Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
A decade ago, coal-fired power plants operated at an average of 70-80 per cent of their rated capacities. However, during 2019-20, the average Plant Load Factor (PLF) tumbled to 55.5 per cent owing to a decline in power demand and increasing traction from renewable power sources.
