A power catastrophe is looming in India amid the global energy crisis, with the country’s power facilities running on critically low coal inventories. In the face of growing demands, three out of four power plants in the country have less than a week’s supply of coal on hand. Many states, including Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Tamil Nadu, have been affected by the coal shortage.
The reason for the coal crisis in India is the pandemic, which has caused disruptions like never before. When compared to the same period last year, power usage has increased by over 17% in the last two months. Power plants have little incentive to increase production because it is difficult to raise the price that consumers pay for electricity. In the case of coal, despite having the world’s fourth-largest reserves, domestic producers in India are unable to fulfill ever-rising demand.
After China, India is the world’s second-largest coal importer. However, importing coal has become difficult due to record-high international coal prices as a result of increased worldwide demand. India’s government feels it is on the right road as it strives to reduce emissions by 33 percent by 2030 and ensure that renewable energy accounts for around 40 percent of its installed power capacity.
An expert in this field said that an investment in multiple power sources, a mix of coal and clean sources of energy is the right way to go for now.
