Friday, February 14, 2014: The government now aims to add 1,18,000 MW power generation capacity by March 2017. It had earlier failed to achieve the last target of 78,577 MW in plan period of 2007-12, due to fuel scarcity issues. The total value in the current plan includes the gap amount from the previous Plan’s shortfall. Planning Commission is currently targeting over 88,000 MW from nuclear and renewable power capacities.
Pradeep Kumar Sinha, the power secretary addressed the media and said, “We are targeting a capacity addition of approximately 1,18,000 MW including 30,000 MW from renewable energy sources in the current five year plan (2012-17).”
India added over 20,000 MW capacity in 2012-2013, despite which the government failed to achieve the revised target of 62,000 MW in the 11th plan period. The original target for the plan was 78,577 MW. The total capacity added during the entire five year period was nearly to 55,000 MW. The capacity of 18,200 MW that includes 2,000 MW of solar power, is to be added during the current financial year by 31 March.
India’s current installed generation capacity is 2,28,722 MW. Coal India further plans to increase its production to 615 million tonnes by 2016-17 to cater to the domestic market. Coal is also not likely to be a problem, as the government has allowed fuel pass-through. The fuel-pass through will pass the cost of imported coal to the consumer in form of higher tariff, when these shortages in domestic coal are to be achieved via coal importing.
