Chennai: India suffered the worst lack of power in October since March 2016 due to crippling coal deficiencies, data analysis of Reuters from the Federal Posoco grid regulator showed.
The power supply fell by around 750 million kilowatt hours of demand for the first 12 days of October, a 1.6% deficit was the worst in five and a half years, data showed.
The lack of October is the biggest absolute term in one month since November 2018, even with 19 October still left.
Lack of this month has contributed 21.6% of the total deficit this year.
Northern countries such as Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, and the eastern countries of Jharkhand and Bihar, are the most affected, registering a supply deficit of 2.3% -14.7%.
Increasing economic activities after the second wave of the Coronavirus Pandemi has encouraged coal demand which leads to lack of supply, forcing northern countries such as Bihar, Rajasthan and Jharkhand to reduce power up to 14 hours a day.
The Ministry of Power India said in a statement on Wednesday on Wednesday the capacity of power plants under blackout because coal shortages had fallen almost 6 gigawatts (GW), from 11 gw on Tuesday.
Coal accounts for more than 70% of Indian power plants, and coal-fueled plants form 208.6 GW, or 54%, the power capacity installed in India.
India’s dependence on coal-fired power increased to 69.6% in October from 66.5% in September, data showed, worsening coal shortages amid reduced output from other sources such as wind and hydro.
More than 60% of the 135 Indian coal power plants have fuel stock for less than three days.
The output section of renewable energy so far in October fell to 8.34% from 11.33% in September, while Hydro Energy output fell 1.3 percentage points, data showed.