Why in News?

As India prepares for a hotter-than-normal summer with more heatwave days, concerns have emerged over the government’s plan to rely more on coal-based power amid gas shortages caused by the West Asia conflict. This raises issues like solar curtailment and grid management.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Power Demand and Preparedness
• Greater Reliance on Coal-Based Power
• Renewable Energy Curtailment: Emerging Concern

Power Demand and Preparedness

• The government has stated that India’s power system is adequately prepared to meet peak summer demand.
• However, gas supply disruptions have created challenges, especially during periods of high electricity consumption.
• Role of Gas-Based Power
  • Although gas-based power contributes a small share to India’s energy mix, it plays a critical balancing role, especially:
    • During non-solar hours (evenings and nights)
    • When demand is high in summer
  • Around 10 GW of gas-based capacity is typically used during peak demand periods.
• Shift Towards Coal and Alternatives
  • To compensate for reduced gas availability, the government plans to rely on:
    • Coal-based power generation
    • Renewable energy sources
    • Energy storage systems
  • This shift ensures immediate supply but comes with long-term trade-offs.
  • Gas-based power plants are more flexible and responsive:
    • They can ramp up or down quickly
    • Help balance fluctuations in renewable energy
    • Ensure grid stability during evening peaks, when solar power is unavailable
  • Thus, reduced gas usage affects efficient integration of renewables.
• Concern: Solar Curtailment
  • A key concern is the curtailment of solar energy (i.e., reducing or stopping solar power generation despite availability).
    • Coal plants are inflexible: They cannot quickly adjust output.
    • This leads to situations where solar power is reduced to accommodate coal-based generation.
  • This undermines renewable energy utilisation.

Greater Reliance on Coal-Based Power

• India’s electricity generation is heavily dependent on coal, contributing over 70%, while gas-based power accounts for only 1–2%.
• Despite being costlier than coal and renewables, gas-based plants are crucial during peak demand periods, especially in summer evenings, due to their flexibility.
• The West Asia conflict has disrupted gas supplies, forcing the government to prioritise limited gas availability for essential sectors.
• This has reduced the availability of gas for power generation, increasing dependence on coal-based plants.
• Government Measures to Bridge the Gap
  • To meet rising summer demand, the government has initiated several steps:
    • Directed Tata Power’s 4 GW imported coal plant in Gujarat to resume full operations from April 1 after being idle for six months.
    • Asked thermal power plants to defer maintenance to maximise electricity generation.
    • Ensured that all generating companies maintain full capacity utilisation, except during unavoidable outages.
  • These steps are expected to make around 10,000 MW of additional capacity available between April and June 2026.
  • The government is also closely tracking thermal and hydro projects scheduled for commissioning by June 2026 to ensure timely addition of capacity during peak demand.
• Role of Hydro and Renewable Energy
  • Hydropower is being carefully scheduled to conserve water for peak demand periods.
  • Renewable energy expansion is being accelerated, with faster clearances for:
    • Wind power projects
    • Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
  • India is prioritising energy security through coal-based generation amid gas shortages, while simultaneously pushing renewables and storage solutions.
  • The challenge lies in balancing short-term demand with long-term clean energy goals.

Renewable Energy Curtailment: Emerging Concern

• A higher dependence on coal-based power plants may lead to increased renewable energy (RE) curtailment, especially solar.
• This is mainly due to the operational inflexibility of coal plants, which cannot easily reduce output when renewable generation rises.
• What is Curtailment and Why It Happens?
  • Curtailment refers to the reduction or shutdown of renewable power generation despite availability.
  • It occurs to maintain grid stability and safety, particularly when:
    • Power supply exceeds demand
    • The grid faces frequency issues or congestion
  • Between May and November last year, India curtailed about 23 GW of renewable energy, highlighting the scale of the issue.
  • A major reason behind curtailment is the Minimum Technical Load (MTL) of coal plants.
    • MTL is the lowest level at which a thermal plant can operate safely (currently around 55% capacity).
    • Coal plants often cannot reduce output below this level, even when solar generation is high during the day.
  • Experts suggest lowering MTL (possibly to 40%) to better accommodate renewable energy.
• Changing Power Generation Pattern
  • Earlier:
    • Solar met daytime demand.
    • Gas-based plants handled evening peaks.
  • Now:
    • Greater reliance on coal means coal plants remain operational even during daytime.
    • This forces cheaper solar power to be curtailed, despite availability.
• Grid Constraints and Regional Challenges
• Curtailment is also driven by:
  • Transmission congestion, especially in high-renewable states like Rajasthan and Gujarat
  • Low power demand in certain states (underdrawal)
  • Limited ability to transfer surplus renewable power across regions
• These constraints make it difficult to fully utilise renewable energy.
• Operational and Economic Factors
  • Coal plants are preferred for reliability, especially for evening peak demand.
  • Increasing flexibility in coal plants requires technical adjustments and higher costs, though compensation mechanisms exist.
  • For utilities, it is often easier to keep coal plants running at minimum load and curtail renewables rather than frequently ramping generation.
• Structural Challenge: Lack of System Flexibility
  • Curtailment is not just about renewable availability but about system-wide flexibility, including:
    • Energy storage (BESS)
    • Flexible demand management
    • Balancing resources
  • Without these, integrating large-scale renewables becomes difficult.