India power supply boosted as thermal plant maintenance deferred to add 10,000 MW for summer peak

India is delaying planned maintenance stoppages at thermal power plants. The move is set to add about 10,000 MW during summer peaks. The Ministry of Power announced the steps on Friday. Officials said the aim is to strengthen short-term electricity supply. The ministry also cited wider global uncertainty affecting energy markets.

Representative image

Piyush Singh, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Power, said routine repair shutdowns were being postponed. Power stations usually stop once a year for upkeep. The shift is intended to keep more units running through high demand. Singh said extra output should offset near-term risks. These include fuel disruptions seen in recent weeks.

Thermal power plants maintenance shutdowns and summer power supply

Singh said the added 10,000 MW should cover the loss of about 8,000 MW. That shortfall followed disruption in liquefied natural gas LNG supplies. The ministry linked the LNG impact to the war in West Asia. Officials said the thermal steps were meant to stabilise supply. The plan is focused on the peak summer period.

The ministry said imported coal-based plants are being run at full availability. It also said thermal stations are keeping adequate coal stocks. These steps are meant to manage immediate pressure on generation. The ministry said the electricity system remains stable. It added that supply can be routed to areas with higher demand.

Electricity system capacity and non-fossil sources in India

Singh said India’s installed capacity has crossed 531 gigawatts. Singh added that the system is well-diversified. Non-fossil sources now make up over 50 per cent of total capacity. Coal, hydro and nuclear also support the mix. Renewables contribute alongside these sources, the ministry said.

The ministry said 22,361 megawatt of generation capacity will be added in three months. It includes 3,500 MW of thermal capacity. It also covers 10,000 MW of solar and 2,400 MW of wind. Additions include 1,900 MW of battery storage and 3,461 MW of hybrid solar-wind.

The ministry also listed 750 MW of hydro and 250 MW of pumped storage projects. It said these additions should support summer supply and later demand. Officials did not change the capacity numbers. The package includes both generation and storage. The ministry said the mix helps manage variability from renewables.

Transmission network and inter-regional transfer capability for power

The ministry said the transmission backbone is around 5 lakh circuit kilometres. It added that inter-regional transfer capability is over 120 GW. These links allow electricity to move between regions when needed. The ministry said this improves reliability. It also helps balance demand spikes across states during summer.

Over the long term, installed capacity is projected to reach about 874 GW by 2031-32. The ministry said non-fossil sources may exceed 67 per cent by then. Energy storage is planned to expand up to 300 GWh. Transmission infrastructure may rise to about 6.5 lakh circuit kilometres, with 167 GW transfer capability.

The ministry said no new gas-based or imported coal-based plants were planned recently. It said policy focus has shifted to aligning existing assets with domestic fuels. Measures include 10-year resource adequacy planning by states. The ministry also cited green energy corridors and interstate transmission charge waivers.

The ministry said schemes such as PM-KUSUM, PM Surya Ghar, and the National Green Hydrogen Mission support the transition. Officials linked these measures to planning and grid readiness. The near-term steps focus on keeping thermal units available. The longer-term measures focus on storage, renewables, and stronger transmission to meet demand.

With inputs from PTI