India's coal-fired power generation growth slows in August, renewables up

Business Recorder reported that India's coal-fired power output grew more slowly in August, while renewable generation climbed sharply. According to Grid-India data, total electricity output rose 11.6% compared with a year earlier, reaching 180 billion kWh. An extended heatwave and weak rainfall lifted demand for cooling and reduced hydropower output.

Solar, wind and small hydro schemes together produced 35.14 billion kWh of renewable power, up 42.1% from a year earlier. Coal-fired generation climbed 11.3% to 116.28 billion kWh, slower than the near 13% gain in July and about 14% in June. Hydropower generation declined by 16.7%, landing at 21.5 billion kWh in the same month.

Government figures show that uneven monsoon showers hampered coal extraction and transport, leaving 46 power plants with dangerously thin stocks. Manoj Kumar, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said peak demand outside solar hours stays very high, which keeps coal consumption up while solar and wind output expands.