It further said that the increase in available energy in February this year was driven by higher hydro power, up 25.6 per cent y-o-y, and renewable generation, up 19.6 per cent y-o-y, even as thermal generation declined 2.0 per cent y-o-y
New Delhi: Short-term power prices continued to decline and landed at Rs 3.08 per Kilowatt hour (kWh) in February 2019 compared with Rs 3.23 per unit in the same month last year, research and ratings agency India Ratings and Research said in a report today.
“The decline was driven by a lower energy demand due to an elongated winter season. Available energy increased 1.6 per cent while the increase in energy required was limited to 1.3 per cent, leaving a lower power deficit of 0.4 per cent in February 2019,” Ind-Ra said in its report.
It further added that the increase in available energy in February this year was driven by higher hydro power, up 25.6 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y), and renewable generation, up 19.6 per cent y-o-y, even as thermal generation declined 2.0 per cent y-o-y.
According to the report, with an increase in hydropower, the lower reliance on thermal energy in February led to thermal plant load factor declining to 60.5 per cent, which was 62.9 per cent in the same month last year.
Coal India’s monthly coal production increased 6.5 per cent y-o-y to 58.1 million tonne (mt) in February 2019, leading to a rise in the coal inventory at power stations by 64.8 per cent y-o-y. The inventory was also supported by higher production from the hydro and renewable segments, leading to lower reliance on the thermal segment.
“The increase in inventory further led to the number of power plants with sub-critical levels of coal declining to four in February 2019 from 25 in February 2018 and six in January 2019. The total coal production increased 6.5 per cent y-o-y to 527 mt in April-February 2019,” the report said.
No new capacity was added in the thermal or hydro segment in February this year and capacity addition for the period from April 2018 to February 2019 also declined significantly — 52 per cent y-o-y. India still depends on coal-based power with a capacity of 197.4 gigawatt in February 2019.
Source: energy.economictimes.indiatimes
