Lok Sabha Question No. 1522 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-26
Subject: Thermal Power Plants
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT, KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE, REKHA ARUN VERMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1522 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2018

## THERMAL POWER PLANTS

†1522.  SHRI ARVIND SAWANT: SHRI KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE: SHRIMATI REKHA VERMA:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

(a) the quantum of thermal power being generated in the country;

(b) whether the thermal power plants are functioning at less than half of their capacity;

(c) if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether  Central  Electricity  Authority  has  warned  that  the  thermal power plants are likely to be affected badly by the unexpected increase in the renewable energy generation capacity in the ensuing years;

(e) if  so,  the  corrective  measures  taken  by  the  Government  in  this regard; and

(f) the other steps taken by the Government for increasing the power generation  with  a  view  to  ensure  availability  of  more  power  in  the country?

## A N S W E R

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY

( SHRI  R. K. SINGH )

(a) to (c) : During 2017-18, the generation from thermal power plants was 1037 Billion Unit (BUs) and the Plant Load Factor was 60.72%. The Plant Load Factor has improved to 63.24% during the current year 2018-19 (upto June, 2018) with a thermal generation of 274.6 BUs.

..........2.

(d) to (f) : Central  Electricity  Authority  in  the  National  Electricity  Plan has  estimated  that  the  demand  as  forecasted  by  19th  Electric  Power Survey  (EPS)  will  be  fully  met  with  the  planned  generation  capacities including 175 GW from Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The likely PLF of coal based capacity during 2021-22 is expected to be 56.5%. During 201718 and the current year 2018-19 (upto June, 2018), it has been observed that  the  generation  from  renewable  have  helped  the  electricity  grid  in conserving coal and using it optimally to meet the base load requirement of the country.

The other steps taken by the Government for increasing the power generation with a view to ensure availability of more power in the country, inter-alia, are:

- (i) Due to various schemes like 'Power for all' 'Saubhagya', 'Make in India' etc. the electricity demand will increase resulting in improvement of the PLF of coal based capacity in the country.
- (ii) Allocation of Coal Blocks to power plants.
- (ii) Ministry  of  Coal  had  issued  policy  guidelines  for  grant  of bridge  linkage  to  end  use  plants  of  Central  and  State  public sector undertakings which have been allocated Coal mines/Coal blocks. Based on the policy guidelines for Bridge Linkage 27 Nos. Thermal Projects totaling to 33,320  MW were granted bridge linkage.
- (iv) New  and  more  transparent  coal  allocation  policy  for  power sector, 2017 - SHAKTI (Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala  (coal)  Transparently  in  India)  has  been  issued  by Ministry  of  Coal  in  May,  2017.    This  new  coal  linkage  policy would  ensure  a  proper  mechanism  for  sourcing  coal  by  the power plants as per their schedules and would ensure that all projects are supplied  coal as per their entitlement.

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