India’s Power Generation Surges 10 Percent in April, Peaks at 235 GW

India's Power Generation Surges 10 Percent in April, Peaks at 235 GW/Mint

Dil Bar Irshad | May 23, 2024 | 06:47 PM IST | Energy, India | Follow on Google News

India’s Power Generation Surges 10 Percent in April, Peaks at 235 GW

India’s Power Generation Surges 10 Percent in April, Peaks at 235 GW

India witnessed a significant surge in power generation, recording a 10% increase in April as compared to the previous year. The peak demand soared to 235 GW, marking the highest level of the year so far.

The rise in power generation was primarily driven by a robust growth in thermal power generation, which increased by 10.87% year-on-year to reach 123.50 billion units. However, despite the impressive growth, the overall generation fell short of the targeted 161.71 million units, attributed partly to a failure in achieving the targeted thermal capacity addition of 800MW.

Thermal power, constituting about 80% of the total generation, experienced a substantial increase, contributing to the overall rise in power consumption. Renewable power generation also witnessed a notable uptick, rising by 8.93% to 17.99 billion units, while nuclear power plants recorded a 21.09% increase in generation.

However, the hydro power generation from large hydro projects continued to decline, reaching only 7.99 billion units in April 2024, a 7.71% decrease compared to the previous year. Low rains and falling reservoir levels were cited as key factors behind this decline.

Despite the surge in power demand, prices of power on the exchanges remained relatively stable, largely unchanged from the previous year. This stability was attributed to improved sell-side liquidity and higher availability of power, ensuring a consistent power supply, especially during peak summer months.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts continued heatwave conditions over various parts of the country, indicating a likelihood of further increase in peak demand. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) estimates the peak demand to reach a record 260 GW this year, underscoring the importance of maintaining a stable power supply infrastructure.

Source: Mint

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.