The unique properties of Indian coal for power generation: A message for investors
- International Environmental and Energy Consultants, Oakbrook Terrace, IL (United States)
Since Independence in 1947, India has multiplied electricity generation capacity by over 60 times from a meager 1,362 MW to over 84,000 MW in 1996. Thermal power plants based on coal account for 74% of the installed capacity. Despite this record growth, India faces an acute energy shortage with a supply and demand gap of 8.5%, peaking to 19%. It is planned to add an extra capacity of 142,000 MW during the period of 1992 to 2007. In money terms, this scale of expansion, at a modest installation cost of US 1/MW, needs a capital of $142 billion over 15 years, or $9.5 billion every year. This is a monumental task for India, where the power generation has mostly been owned by the Governments. This was recognized by the Central Government and the legislation was amended in 1991 to attract private enterprise to invest in the power sector. The details of the new policy and the incentives have been reported elsewhere. The response to the new policy has been overwhelming. 245 expressions of interest have been received corresponding to over 90,000 MW--over $100 billion. Out of these, over 50 proposals are from foreign investors and joint ventures. Most of this additional capacity will be based on the indigenous coal. The locations of the major and planned utilities are shown. While the Indian coal has been known to have high ash content, there are additional features which are unique in their impact on its use as boiler fuel. This paper aims at bringing these properties to the attention of those investors who are not familiar with Indian coal. An in-depth appreciation of its properties will assist in suitable design and operation of the units.
- OSTI ID:
- 514874
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970456--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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