NTPC abandons plan to shut down 25-year-old coal-fired plants
State-run power producer NTPC has rolled back its decision to shut coal-based power plants that completed 25 years and more in operation, given that higher power demand can only be met through such power. The decision was also influenced by the power crisis in China that buttressed the significance of coal-fired power units, till storage-based technology takes root.
A senior company official told FE, “We do not plan to retire any of our old power plants nor can India afford at present to close any plant above 200 MW except those plants with high heat rate. Even if 500-GW renewable comes up by 2030, there will be peak demand for coal-based power. Unless there is remarkable development in storage-based generation, the demand for coal based power will exist,” the official said.
