India is ramping up coal use after recording a sharp decline in hydropower output, as it braces for rising power demand and potential blackouts during the hot season ahead of the polls this month.
Coal’s share in power output rose to 77% in the first week of April, about two percentage points higher than a year earlier, according to data from the Grid Controller of India Ltd., making up for shortfalls in hydropower output.
Inadequate rainfall last year continues to weigh on hydroelectricity production, with March output falling 11% from last year. The government is now counting on normal monsoons for hydropower to bounce back, according to a power ministry statement last week.
As the demand for coal climbs, stockpiles have begun to recede. Inventories dropped to the lowest level in two weeks, although still nearly 34% more than a year earlier.
The data underscore the nation’s increasing dependence on its biggest energy source, even as it aims for a record deployment of clean energy capacity by 2030. The world’s third-biggest emitter is prioritizing energy security and rushing to add coal-fired power capacity to meet steadily surging demand.
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