India's coal consumption to increase by 38 per cent

India is set to significantly increase its annual coal consumption, adding 292 million tonnes (MT) of coal each year as the country plans to introduce 25-30 gigawatts (GW) of thermal power generation on top of the 49 GW of coal-based units already under construction. This move is expected to raise total coal usage by 38%, as reported by the Financial Express.

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As of March 2023, India's coal-based power generation capacity stood at 212 GW, with projections indicating an increase to 260 GW by 2030. In the fiscal year 202223, 180 thermal power plants across India consumed a total of 777 MT of coal, including 55 MT of imported coal.

India has made commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including nationally determined contributions (NDCs) such as having 50% of its installed power capacity sourced from non-fossil fuel sources and reducing the emission intensity of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 45% from the 2005 level by 2030.