Utilisation levels of private thermal power generators — already distressed due to lack of adequate demand and coal supply issues — continued to remain under 60% in April-January even as thermal, nuclear and hydro power plants across the country generated 1,050.3 billion units (BU) of electricity in the period, a 4.1% year-on-year (y-o-y) growth.
The plant load factor (PLF) of private power plants was at 55.7% in the period, keeping their debt-servicing capabilities suppressed.
The major units where PLFs fell the most are Reliance Power’s 1,200 MW Roja, Jindal Power’s 1,000 MW Tamnar, Essar Power’s 1,200 MW Salaya, KSK Energy’s 1,200 MW Mahanadi and Adani Power’s 4,620 MW Mundra.
Thermal plants owned by the states saw their PLF levels rise 4.1% points y-o-y to 57.8% in April-January FY19. Central government-owned plants maintained PLFs of 72%. Since electricity cannot be stored, generation is the most robust indicator of power consumption trends.
