India is bracing for its most significant power shortfall in over a decade, as a sharp decline in hydropower generation prompts urgent measures from the government to avert potential outages.
According to officials speaking to Reuters, the shortfall is projected to occur in June, with the government resorting to strategies such as deferring planned plant maintenance and reactivating idle units to mitigate the crisis.
The anticipated deficit in power generation is attributed to various factors, including a slump in hydropower production and delays in the commissioning of new coal-fired plants.
The Indian government, striving to maintain stability in the nation's power supply, is undertaking swift action to address the looming energy shortfall.
A government source revealed that delays in the operationalization of 3.6 gigawatts (GW) of new coal-fired plants, originally slated to be online before March, have contributed to the impending crisis.
The decline in hydropower output, which witnessed its most significant drop in four decades in the fiscal year ending on March 31, has exacerbated the situation.
Renewable energy generation, despite efforts to bolster it, has remained stagnant, further complicating India's energy landscape.
The Central Electricity Authority, India's apex planning body for the power sector, disclosed to Reuters that a peak shortage of 14 GW is forecasted for June, particularly during nighttime hours when solar capacity is offline.
This projected deficit marks the widest gap in power supply since the fiscal year 2009-10, as indicated by publicly available government data.
In response to the looming crisis, Power Minister R K Singh convened an emergency meeting last week to assess the situation comprehensively.
Following deliberations, it was decided to defer the scheduled shutdown of power plants for maintenance during June.
Additionally, plans are underway to revive 5 GW of idled coal plant capacity to strengthen the nation's power generation capabilities.
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