As Dry Weather Fuels Fears Of Blackouts, India Burns More Coal To Generate Electricity

As renewable energy sources struggle to keep up with the country's record-high demand for electricity, India has increased the usage of coal to generate electricity in an effort to prevent blackouts brought on by decreased hydroelectricity output.

Due to the yearly monsoon that occurs between June and September, it is rare for India's energy consumption to increase in August when temperatures are lower. Demand normally reaches its height in May, when Indians turn on their air conditioners to beat the heat and businesses are not disrupted by rain.

According to a Reuters analysis of government data, coal's contribution to power output increased to 66.7 percent in August, the highest percentage for the month in six years. The percentage of hydropower in total output fell to 14.8% as a result of lower rainfall, down from 18.1% during the same period last year.

The government has justified the use of coal on numerous occasions, pointing to lower per capita emissions when compared to wealthy countries and increasing production of alternative energy.

Government data showed that power plants have reduced imports by 24% to 17.85 million metric tonnes during the first four months of the fiscal year 2023-24, despite higher demand for coal. This is because state-run Coal India's production has increased by 10.7 percent, which has allowed power plants to reduce their imports despite higher demand.

The price of thermal coal has been declining recently due to lower imports from the second-largest consumer of the polluting fuel in the world, after China.

The higher energy consumption is attributed by analysts and industry leaders to farmers requiring more electricity to water fields as a result of low rain, intermittent renewable energy sources, and increased cooling demand owing to warmer-than-normal temperatures.