Energy Demand In India Will Double By 2040: Coal Minister

Energy demand in India will double by 2040 and will need about 1,500 million tonnes of coal: Coal Minister.

In April, power outages occurred in many parts of the country due to a shortage of coal. The demand for coal in the country has increased significantly.

The government had asked public sector company CIL (Coal India Limited) to be ready to import coal.

The government had directed power companies to be ready to import 12 million tonnes of coal for the next 13 months.

Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Saturday that thermal coal requirements will increase to around 1,500 million tonnes over the next 18 years to meet the country’s energy demand.

The minister said that there is a need to be aware of the environment and keep in mind the sustainable mining goals.

The minister said that the estimated electricity generation by 2040 would be around 3000 billion units. India’s energy demand will double by 2040.

To meet this demand, the demand for thermal coal will increase to about 1500 million tonnes by 2040.

However, best efforts are being made to balance the reliance on coal and lignite with the development of renewable energy. This was stated by Joshi during his maiden visit to NLC India Limited at Neyli.

NLC India said in a statement that Joshi today emphasized the importance of coal in the energy security of the country.

India has a balanced energy mix and is helping the country rapidly move toward its energy-environmental goals.

Energy demand in India: What is the main reason for the shortage of coal?

In April, many parts of the country suffered power outages due to a shortage of coal. He had said that several measures are already being taken to increase the total power supply in the country.

There has been a sharp decline in gas-based power generation in the country, adding to the crisis.

Coal Secretary had attributed low coal stocks in power plants to several factors such as the increase in power demand due to the boom in the economy, COVID-19, the early arrival of summer, and gas prices.

The main reasons for this were the increase in electricity production and the sharp decline in power generation by imported coal and coastal thermal power plants.