156 GW Power Capacity Under Construction, More Than 469 GW Capacity To Be Added By 2031-2032: Power Minister Singh

A total of 156.07 giga-watt (GW) power capacity is under construction, Union Power Minister R K Singh informed the Parliament on Tuesday (6 February).

The capacity under implementation includes 103.66 GW of renewables, 26.38 GW of thermal, 18.03 GW of hydro and 8 GW of nuclear energy, the Minister said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Providing details of the the anticipated capacity addition between 2023-32, the Minister stated that capacity that is expected to be added during this period will be 93.38 GW for thermal, 42.01 GW for hydro, 12.2 GW for nuclear and 322 GW for renewable energy.

Put together, the total anticipated capacity addition by 2031-2032 will be 469 GW, Singh said.

At present, thermal power accounts for almost 57 per cent of India’s total installed power generation capacity. It is produced by burning fossil fuels like coal, gas, etc. Of this, coal alone accounts for around 49 per cent of India’s installed electricity generation.

For numerous decades, coal has held a pivotal role in India's energy landscape and is projected to maintain its prominence for another decade or two. This enduring reliance stems mainly from coal's status as the most cost-effective natural resource and its abundant availability within India.

Apart from 26.38 GW of thermal capacity under construction, 11.96 GW of thermal capacity has been bid out and another 19.05 GW capacity is under consideration for clearance.