India has asked power companies to order equipment worth $33 billion this year to fast-track capacity additions of coal-fired power, according to Reuters, as the nation struggles to meet booming electricity demand. The unusual move by the government is expected to result in record equipment tenders by India’s major power producers, like the National Thermal Power Corp. (NTPC) and Adani Power. The goal is to add 31 gigawatts (GW) in the next 5-6 years.
India is rushing to add coal-fired capacity as it is barely able to meet high power demand with the existing fleet in non-solar hours. The nation saw its biggest power shortfall in 14 years in June, and had to race to avoid night time outages by deferring planned plant maintenance, and invoking an emergency clause to mandate companies to run plants based on imported coal and power.
