Indian Power Sector

In my first blog post, I thought of exploring the energy/power sector in India, which plays a pivotal role in shaping the nation's progress and economic growth. As India continues to witness rapid urbanization, industrialization, and technological advancements, the demand for reliable and sustainable energy sources has never been more critical. Let us delve into the power sector of the country and take a look at the different avenues of energy generation in the country.

Breakdown of the Power Sources

The installed capacity is represented in terms of MegaWatts (MW), which is a unit of power. One MW is equal to 1,000,000 Watts (W). For comparison, a normal ceiling fan requires 75W of power to operate. That is, if we need to operate a single ceiling fan, we need a power plant which generates at least 75W of power.

Now, the total installed capacity from all sources (as of 30/04/2023) in the country stands at 416,591 MW. Out of this, 237,269 MW (57%) is from fossil fuel sources. The rest, 179,322 MW (43%), is from renewable sources, including hydroelectric and nuclear power plants. A detailed breakdown of the different avenues is given below. We should note that this is installed capacity and not the actual power generation. Actual power generation is different from installed capacity. You can read more about actual electricity generation in India here.

Avenue	Installed Capacity (MW)
Coal	205,235 (49.3 %)
Lignite	6,620 (1.6 %)
Gas	24,824 (6.0 %)
Diesel	589 (0.1 %)
Total Fossil Fuel	2,37,269 (57.0 %)
Hydro	46,850 (11.2 %)
Small Hydro Power	4,944 (1.2 %)
Wind	42,868 (10.3 %)
Solar	67,078 (16.1 %)
Biomass Power/Cogeneration	10,248 (2.5 %)
Waste to Energy	554 (0.1 %)
Nuclear	6,780 (1.6 %)
Total Non-Fossil Fuel	179,322 (43.0 %)
Total Installed Capacity	416,591 (100.0 %)

Conclusion

The power sector in India is undergoing a significant shift towards sustainability. With 43% of the energy mix coming from non-fossil fuel sources, such as solar, wind, hydro, and biomass, the country is making admirable progress in reducing its reliance on fossil fuels. This transition not only addresses environmental concerns but also promotes energy security and creates new opportunities for clean technology development. However, challenges such as intermittent renewable energy supply and distribution inefficiencies remain. We still have a long way to go to shift to renewable sources of power completely.

References

Ministry of Power, Government of India