India saw a new power generation capacity of 12,539 MW being commissioned in 2013-14. The new capacities were commissioned between 1 April, 2013 and 28 February, 2014. As compared to the 13,595 MW capacity addition during April 2012-February 2013, capacity addition in April 2013-February 2014 fell to 12,539 MW. We may see a couple of more projects being commissioned in March 2014.
Adani Power and NTPC commissioned two mega power projects in FY14. Adani Power Maharashtra, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Power, commissioned Unit-III of its Tiroda coal-based power project in June 2013. The 1,980 MW (3x660 MW) coal-based power project is located in Gondia district of Maharashtra and was set up with an investment of Rs 9,263 crore. Unit-I and Unit-II of the project were synchronised in August 2012 and January 2013, respectively.
Another subsidiary of Adani Power, Adani Power Rajasthan, commissioned its 1,300 MW thermal power project in January 2014. The 2x660 MW project was set up with an investment of Rs 5,889 crore, at Baran district of Rajasthan. Unit-I of the project commenced commercial operations in May 2013.
| All India Installed Capacity: As of 28 Feb 2014 |
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| Source:CEA |
NTPC commissioned Unit-VI of its Rihand super thermal power project (Stage-III) at Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh in October 2013. Unit-V of the 500 MW thermal power station was commissioned in November 2012. With the commissioning of Unit-VI, the total installed capacity of Rihand super thermal power project now stands at 3,000 MW.
NTPC Tamil Nadu Energy Co, a subsidiary of NTPC, completed its 1,500 MW (3x500) coal-based power project at Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu in February 2014 by commissioning Unit-III. Unit-I of the power plant was commissioned in November 2012, while Unit-II was synchronised in February 2013.
In the hydel power sector, NHPC commissioned Unit-IV of Stage-II of the Uri hydel power project in Baramula district of Jammu & Kashmir. The Rs 1,800 crore Uri hydel power project, with a total 240 MW capacity, comprises four units, each with 60 MW capacity. NHPC has invested Rs 1,800 crore in the project.
As of 28 February 2014, all India installed power capacity touched 2,37,743 MW. Amongst the states, Maharashtra is at the top with 33,046 MW installed capacity, followed by Gujarat with 27,020 MW and Tamil Nadu with 21,063 MW. However, in terms of renewable energy sources (RES), Tamil Nadu is in the lead with 7,946 MW installed capacity. Overall, RES accounts for 12 per cent of the total installed power capacity in India.
Focus shifts to renewal energy
In a bid to promote renewable energy generation in India, the Union government has framed several policies under the Electricity Act, 2003 and also released the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in June 2008. Targets set under the NAPCC require India to produce 15 per cent of its electricity with renewable energy sources by 2020. Furthermore, under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), the government aims to develop 20,000 MW of solar energy by 2022.
As per the data released by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), as of 31 Jan 2014, there are about 2,208 MW commissioned grid solar power projects under JNNSM in India. These projects are spread across several states in India, with Gujarat leading the pack, having 860 MW commissioned grid solar power projects, followed by Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
The current tilt for solar energy was evident from the fact that over 21 solar energy projects, having a combined capacity of 388 MW, were commissioned in FY14. Welspun Solar Madhya Pradesh, a subsidiary of Welspun Group, commissioned Asia’s largest solar power project in February 2014. The 150 MW solar photovoltaic project was set up
at Neemuch district of Madhya Pradesh with an investment of Rs 1,250 crore. Welspun bagged the project in May 2013.
Wind and bagasse-based power sectors also saw some large size projects being commissioned during FY14. A 242 MW wind-based power project worth Rs 1,673 crore, and a 14.8 MW bagasse-based power project worth Rs 80 crore started power generation during the current fiscal. Ratnagiri Wind Power Projects, a subsidiary of Greenko Group, commissioned a 65.6 MW wind turbine-based power unit in Satara district of Maharashtra, in February 2014, while Orange Renewable Power commissioned a 50.4 MW wind-based power unit in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, in April 2013. The project was implemented by Suzlon Energy, which had bagged the order from Orange Renewable Power in January 2013.
The 14.8 MW bagasse-based power unit was set up by Saswad Mali Sugar factory in Solapur district of Maharashtra. The project commenced commercial operation in October 2013.
For decades, the Indian power sector has been dominated by coal-based power projects. However, coal shortages, bureaucratic entanglements and land acquisition issues mean that new projects can take almost a decade to get going. On the other hand, recent technological advancements and investor-friendly policies have caused an appreciable fall in the per unit price of solar-based power plants, making it a more viable investment proposition to potential investors.
Thus, owing to impending issues in the conventional power sector, and growing avenues in renewable sources of energy, the current power dynamics in India is up for a revamp, especially in the fields of solar and wind energy.
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