Indian authorities are introducing a high-load regime for industrial power generation. From the start of October through the end of the year, more than a hundred coal-fired plants owned by private companies and serving their own factories are required to deliver maximum output. The stated reason is an expected surge in consumption amid abnormal heat and alarmingly low fuel stocks.
The order was signed on September 25 and relies on an emergency provision of the electricity law. This mechanism allows the cabinet to give generators direct instructions on operating mode in special circumstances. The requirement applies to units with a capacity of 50 megawatts or more.
The plants in question supply power to steel mills, aluminum smelters, cement plants, and oil refining complexes. The list includes 112 facilities.
The fuel crisis built up gradually. Because of the heat, which is linked to El Niño, electricity demand has risen sharply, and almost four in ten coal plants have reached critically low stockpiles. To ease pressure on the system, the ministry instructed generators to sell surplus power through exchange platforms.
Oversight has been tightened. Every week, the plants must report to the Central Electricity Authority, disclosing generation, own consumption, sales volumes, available capacity, and coal stocks.
In a separate decision, the full-load regime was extended for Tata Power’s Mundra plant, which runs on imported coal. It will operate at maximum output until December 31.
India is trying to keep its power system from failing through administrative levers. The measures help get through the demand peak but do not resolve the structural problem: the country still depends on coal, and fuel stocks are not keeping pace with growing consumption.
Source: Reuters
Image: AI-generated
