India reaches 369 GW power generation capacity against peak demand of 183 GW

The all-India installed capacity for power generation is projected to rise to 619 GW by the end of 2026-27 from 369 GW as on February 29, 2020. The optimal generation mix will, however, depend on the development of storage technology and renewable energy.

March 12, 2020 Uma Gupta

Renewable integration is a challenge for the country which commissioned its largest operational battery based energy storage of 10 MWh facility in February last year.

Image: Adam Jones/Flickr

India has gradually moved from energy-deficit country to near power-surplus country. The country has installed power generation capacity of 369 GW against the peak demand of 183 GW occurred during the current year 2019-20 (up to February 2020)—shared power minister R.K. Singh in the Parliament today.

Compared to 2018-19, the demand of electricity is likely to increase by 231% by the year 2036-37. Peak demand will grow 237%—the minister quoted from the 19th Electric Power Survey (EPS) report brought out by Central Electricity Authority.

The all-India installed capacity of power generation is projected to grow to 619 GW by the end of 2026-27, which includes both conventional and renewable sources. This projected installed generation capacity is expected to meet the demand projection for the year 2026-27 made by the 19th Electric Power Survey. The optimum generation mix for 2026-27 will, however, depend on the development of storage technology and renewable energy, said the minister.

Significantly, the country’s Central Electricity Authority aims for 523 GW of renewable energy by 2030, which, it says, would require deployment of 34 GW/136 GWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) to help balance the grid.

However, deploying BESS at this scale and speed brings associated learning-by-doing costs and integration risks for the country which commissioned its largest operational BESS of 10 MWh facility in February last year—according to Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).

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