India's coal dependence for power to be highest in nine years as heatwaves intensify

India will add more new coal power capacity than it has in nine years, as the country rushes to cope with surging electricity demand.

India will use more coal for generating electricity this year than it has in almost a decade, to cope with surging electricity demand, Bloomberg reported.

Representational (Shutterstock)

The country expects to add 15.4 gigawatts in the financial year 2024-25, the most in nine years, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

The heatwaves of increasing severity are pushing pushing electricity consumption to fresh records every year, Bloomberg wrote.

Coal still generates about three-quarters of India’s electricity, and the government sees it remaining the mainstay fuel for at least another decade, according to the report.

While India managed to add more than 100 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity over the past decade (outpacing thermal power growth), insufficient energy storage is holding this option back, the report read.