India's domestic thermal power plants have witnessed a notable improvement in coal stocks, reaching 27 million tonnes as of December 9, marking a recovery from the year's low of 18.5 million tonnes recorded about a month ago. Approximately 20 coal-based power plants had reported critical levels in stocks, a substantial decrease from the peak of 75 observed around October 23. The resurgence in coal stocks is attributed to increased production and relatively stable power demand. Favorable weather conditions, with coal-producing states experiencing a reduction in rain spells, contributed to a gradual production pickup from November onward. While India's power demand in December has not exhibited the same level of growth as seen in previous months, officials note that the demand spike is typically less pronounced in December. On December 9, India's power demand stood at 185.5 gigawatts (GW), with a shortage of 303 megawatts (MW). The power ministry had directed thermal generating stations, including Independent Power Producers (IPPs), to mandatorily blend imported coal at 6 percent of their total capacity until March 2024 in response to the coal shortage. Despite the challenges, Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy RK Singh highlighted that widespread power cuts and blackouts were averted in September 2022 due to the government's import mandate for blending at thermal power plants. Singh emphasized the significance of this measure, stating that without imports for blending, coal stocks in thermal power plants would have dwindled to zero in September 2022, leading to potential power disruptions. India's electricity requirement demonstrated a notable increase, growing by 9.6 percent in FY2022-23 compared to the previous year and by 8.5 percent from April to October 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.

SOURCE: GOOGLE