NEW POWER PLAN INDIA TO BURN 38 PERCENT COAL

India is likely to burn 292 million tonnes (MT) more coal every year as new thermal power plants of capacity 25-30 gigawatt (GW) are going to be implemented in addition to 49 GW of coal-based units under construction. About 3.5-4 MT of coal generates 1,000 megawatt (MW) power at 65-75 percent plant load factor (PLF). With the new plan, total coal usage will rise by 38 percent - says a report by Financial Express. As of Mar 2023, India's coal-based thermal power generation capacity was at 212 GW, and it is going to rise to 260 GW by 2030. Across India, in 2022-2023, 180 thermal power plants consumed 777 MT of coal, out of which 55 MT were imported coal. The report says, India is on its way to meet its commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). According to the nationally determined contributions (NDCs), India needs to have 50 percent installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources and the country has to cut the emission intensity of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 45 percent from the 2005 level by 2030. India has already set up 44 percent non-fossil fuel power generating capacity and is likely to take it up to 60 percent by 2030. India has reduced 33 percent of the emissions intensity of its GDP from 2005 level by 2019.