India plans to reduce the output of at least 81 coal-fired power facilities over the next four years, as reported by Reuters on May 30. Citing a letter from India’s Ministry of Power, the plan aims to reduce 58bn kilowatt-hours (kWh) of power generated by the 81 utilities, saving 34.7m tons of coal and reducing carbon emissions by 60.2m tons for India. While the plan aims to maximize the supply of cheaper green energy, it will not involve the closure of costly old power facilities. There are now 173 coal-fired power plants in India.

India is the world’s second-largest coal user, producer, and importer, with coal accounting for about 75% of the country’s electrical generation. In addition, the country is the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. India aimed to have 175 gigawatts (GW) of installed renewable energy, comprising 100 GW of solar energy, 60 GW of wind power, 10 GW of biomass, and 5 GW of small hydropower projects by March 2022. However, the country’s installed renewable energy capacity (excluding large hydropower) only reached 110 GW by the deadline, representing 63% of the 175 GW target, according to research by global think tank Ember. India has installed 54 GW of solar and 40 GW of wind on the grid, achieving half and two-thirds of its 2022 targets, respectively.

Sources:

https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/india-plans-phase-down-least-81-coal-fired-utilities-4-years-document-2022-05-30/

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/04/28/indias-race-to-175-gw-of-renewables-slowed-by-performance-of-key-states/