Generation of electricity in India has taken a priority status. With the government looking to quickly fill up the gap between demand and supply, a number of power projects are being sanctioned across the nation. When one looks at the type of power projects coming up, it can be observed that most of the projects make use of coal as the source of energy for generating electricity. In fact Coal-fired power in India is being predicted to rise from 95,000 MW to 294,000 MW over the next 11 years, a growth of about 300%.
Why Coal for generating electricity in India?
The type of power plant being set-up depends on the ready availability of the fuel source and India has the 4th largest reserves of coal and is the 3rd largest producer of coal in the world. There is also ready availability of water sources for use in these coal fired thermal power plants for generating electricity. For power plants in the South of India, despite low coal reserves, there is a good trade network between Australia and South Indian ports providing ready supply of imported coal. Also rates of coals over a long period are stable as compared to the volatility of gas.
The disadvantages of Coal based power generation
The quality of coal found in Indian reserves is low due to high ash content. Washeries have to be set-up to improve quality. Coal also tends to produce higher CO2 emissions per kilowatt generated than other alternative fossil fuels. India in the past has been ranked 14th worst by the World Research institute of Carbon Intensity of Electricity Production. The emissions from coal fired power plants tend to cause acid rains. The burning of coal during the energy generation process leads to large scale emissions of fly-ash, green house gases as well as leads to smog.
Major players looking to setup coal fired power plants include Reliance, Coastal Energen, Torrent Power and Adani Group to name a few.
For a detailed report on electricity in India please refer to: http://www.india-reports.com/summary/electricity_in_india.aspx
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Read articles on Electricity in India:
A General Summary on Electricity in India
The Consumers of Electricity in India: Industrial, Agriculture and Domestic
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We reqiure 410 kw of coal base generators …….
regard
vivek