India to shut down 5.5 GW of "inefficient" coal-fired power plant

Time frame for the phase-out is yet to be announced.

The Central Electrical Authority (CEA) of India has identified old (more than 25-year-old) and inefficient coal-fired power plants with a combined power capacity of 5.5 GW that should be retired, to help India cut its CO2 emissions and better use its coal reserves, according to Enerdata.

The time frame for the planned phase-out was not unveiled but the plants should be stopped progressively.

Coal-fired power plants account for around 60% of India's installed power capacity (more than 200 GW out of a total capacity of 350 GW in 2016) and coal covers nearly 80% of the total power generation.

"Over the last two years, around 4 GW of old coal-fired power plants have been retired, as part of an undergoing retrofit programme. However, new coal-fired capacities are still booming; India's largest thermal power producer NTPC plans to invest US$10bn in new coal-fired projects over the next five years, despite the current construction pace that should meet electricity demand until 2027," Enerdata said.

This story was originally published by Enerdata.