India is the world’s 3rd largest energy consumer (after China and USA). The country’s installed power capacity has grown from ~1,700 MW in 1950 to over 420 GW today.
Energy Mix (Installed Capacity)
| Source |
Capacity (GW) |
Share (%) |
| Thermal (Coal + Lignite) |
240 |
56.5 |
| Renewable (Solar, Wind, Biomass, Small Hydro) |
135 |
32.0 |
| Hydro (Large) |
47 |
11.0 |
| Nuclear |
7.5 |
1.5 |
| Gas + Diesel |
25 |
6.0 |
Thermal Power — The Largest Source
Coal-based
- Capital cost: ₹4-5 crore/MW
- Average PLF (Plant Load Factor): ~55-60%
- Major projects: Vindhyachal (MP) — largest (4,760 MW), Mundra (Gujarat), Talcher (Odisha), Kahalgaon (Bihar)
- Coastal thermal plants: Imported coal — Mundra, Krishnapatnam (AP), Vizag
Gas-based
- Declining PLF (below 30%) due to gas shortage
- Major: Kawas (Gujarat), Gandhar (Gujarat), Anta (Rajasthan), Dadri (UP)
Issues
- Coal shortage: Domestic coal supply insufficient; imports rising
- Pollution: Thermal plants are major SOx, NOx, PM emitters
- Water stress: 70% of coal plants located in water-scarce areas
- Ash disposal: 230 million tonnes of fly ash annually
Hydro Power
Major Projects
| Project |
River |
State |
Capacity (MW) |
| Tehri Dam |
Bhagirathi |
Uttarakhand |
2,400 |
| Bhakra Nangal |
Sutlej |
Punjab/Himachal |
1,325 |
| Sardar Sarovar |
Narmada |
Gujarat |
1,450 |
| Nathpa Jhakri |
Satluj |
Himachal |
1,500 |
| Indira Sagar |
Narmada |
MP |
1,000 |
| Srisailam |
Krishna |
Andhra/Telangana |
1,670 |
Advantages
- Renewable; low operating costs
- Multipurpose: irrigation + power + flood control
- Long life (50+ years)
Challenges
- Large-scale displacement (Tehri: 100,000+ people)
- Environmental clearance delays
- Seismic risks in Himalayas
- Seasonal generation variation
Nuclear Power
Current Reactors
| Plant |
State |
Capacity (MW) |
Type |
| Kudankulam |
Tamil Nadu |
2,000 (2 × 1,000) |
VVER (Russian) |
| Tarapur |
Maharashtra |
1,400 (2 × 160 + 2 × 540) |
BWR, PHWR |
| Rawatbhata |
Rajasthan |
1,180 |
PHWR (Canadian) |
| Kalpakkam (Madras) |
Tamil Nadu |
440 |
PHWR |
| Narora |
Uttar Pradesh |
440 |
PHWR |
| Kakrapar |
Gujarat |
440 (expanding: 2 × 700 under construction) |
PHWR |
| Kaiga |
Karnataka |
440 |
PHWR |
Expansion Plans
- 10 new PHWRs of 700 MW each in fleet mode (approved 2023)
- Jaitapur (Maharashtra): 6 × 1,650 MW with French EPR — largest nuclear power project in the world (planned)
- Kudankulam units 3-6: 4 × 1,000 MW VVER under construction
- Bhavini: Kalpakkam — PFBR (Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor) of 500 MW — expected to be operational
Resources
- India’s uranium resources: ~200,000 tonnes (domestic); limited — imports from Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, France, Canada
- Thorium: India has the world’s largest thorium reserves (~500,000 tonnes) — key to the 3-stage nuclear program
- Three-stage program (Dr. Homi Bhabha):
- PHWR (natural uranium) → Plutonium
- Fast Breeder Reactor (plutonium) → U-233 from thorium
- Thorium-based reactors (U-233)
Renewable Energy — The Fastest Growing
India has the 4th largest renewable energy installed capacity in the world.
Solar Energy
| Aspect |
Details |
| Installed |
~75 GW |
| Potential |
750 GW (Rajasthan alone: 140 GW) |
| Largest park |
Bhadla Solar Park (Rajasthan) — 2,245 MW |
| Ultra Mega Solar Parks |
Pavagada (Karnataka) — 2,050 MW; Kurnool (AP) — 1,000 MW; Rewa (MP) — 750 MW |
| Scheme |
PM-KUSUM (solar pumps); Rooftop solar scheme |
| National target |
500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030 (280 GW from solar) |
Wind Energy
| Aspect |
Details |
| Installed |
~45 GW |
| Potential |
1,000 GW (onshore + offshore) |
| Largest state |
Tamil Nadu (10 GW) — Kayathar, Muppandal, Tirunelveli |
| Other top states |
Gujarat (Kutch, Saurashtra; ~10 GW), Maharashtra (Satara; ~5 GW), Karnataka (Chitradurga; 5 GW), Rajasthan (Jaisalmer; 4 GW) |
| Offshore |
30 GW target by 2030; first project in Gulf of Khambhat (Gujarat) |
Other Renewables
| Source |
Installed |
Key States |
| Biomass |
10 GW |
Punjab (paddy straw), sugarcane bagasse across India |
| Small Hydro |
5 GW |
Himachal, Uttarakhand, NE states |
| Waste to Energy |
1 GW |
Delhi, Maharashtra, Punjab |
International Commitments
- COP 26 (Glasgow, 2021): PM Modi announced Panchamrit:
- 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030
- 50% of energy from renewables by 2030
- Reduction of 1 billion tonnes in total projected carbon emissions by 2030
- Reduction in carbon intensity by 45% (from 2005 level)
- Net-zero by 2070
Challenges in Power Sector
- AT&C losses: Aggregate Technical & Commercial losses ~15-18% (discom inefficiency)
- Financial health of DISCOMs: Outstanding dues >₹1.5 lakh crore; high debt
- Peak shortage: Some states still face power cuts during peak demand
- Grid integration: Variable renewable energy requires grid balancing and storage
- Cross-subsidy: Industrial tariffs subsidize residential tariffs — industrial competitiveness affected
