India plans more coal-fired power plants, defying COP28 pressures
What's the story
India is working to increase its coal-based power generation capacity by 17 gigawatts (GW) within the next 16 months to prevent outages due to a surge in power demand.
This rapid expansion comes before the UN climate summit COP28, where France and the United States are expected to push for restrictions on financing for coal plants, a move India intends to challenge.
Details
Rising power needs require more coal
Although India has added an average of 5 GW of coal-based electricity generation capacity annually over the past five years, it is also increasing its renewable energy efforts.
However, government officials warn that without expanding coal plants, India will struggle to meet its power demands.
The country plans to add nearly 3 GW of coal-fired generation in the next four months, followed by 14 GW in the next fiscal year.
What Next?
Review of delayed coal generation projects
The Indian government is currently reviewing 38 coal generation plants that have faced construction delays for years, aiming to resolve issues related to equipment and land acquisition.
The government expects 28 of these projects to become operational within the next 18 months.
Power Minister RK Singh stated at a meeting on November 21 that India would "have to add coal-based thermal capacity" to meet the growing demand.
Insights
Balancing coal growth with renewable targets
Despite this coal expansion, India is still on track to meet its national commitment of having half of its fuel generation capacity come from non-fossil fuels by 2030, according to government officials.
Ahead of the climate summit in Dubai, the European Union, the US, and the UAE are pushing for a deal to triple global renewable energy installations by 2030.
However, countries like China and India have not yet fully committed to this goal.