New Delhi: The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has released the National Electricity Plan (NEP) for the period of 2022-32, outlining the projected electricity demand, installed capacity, and renewable energy targets, said the Ministry of Power in a statement recently.
The NEP document, made available through the e-Gazette, encompasses a review of the past five years, a detailed plan for the next five years, and a prospective plan for the subsequent five years, the statement added.
According to the NEP, the projected peak electricity demand for India is expected to reach 277.2 GW in 2026-27 and 366.4 GW in 2031-32, with corresponding electrical energy requirements of 1,907.8 BU and 2,473.8 BU, said the statement. These projections take into account various factors such as the increased adoption of electric vehicles, solar rooftop installations, green hydrogen production, and the Saubhagya scheme, it added.
The NEP outlines the likely installed capacity for 2026-27 as 609,591 MW, comprising 273,038 MW of conventional capacity (coal, gas, and nuclear) and 336,553 MW of renewable-based capacity (including large hydro, solar, wind, small hydro, biomass, and pump storage plants), the statement said. Additionally, a battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity of 8,680 MW/34,720 MWh is planned, it added.
The statement also highlighted that for the year 2031-32, the estimated installed capacity is 900,422 MW, with 304,147 MW of conventional capacity and 596,275 MW of renewable-based capacity. The renewable capacity includes large hydro, solar, wind, small hydro, biomass, and pump storage plants. The NEP also indicates the need for a BESS capacity of 47,244 MW/236,220 MWh, the statement added.
The NEP aligns with India’s target of achieving a non-fossil based installed capacity of around 500 GW by 2029-30. It envisions the share of non-fossil-based capacity to increase to 57.4 percent by 2026-27 and potentially reach 68.4 percent by 2031-32, up from the current 42.5 percent as of April 2023. Furthermore, the NEP forecasts the average Plant Load Factor (PLF) for coal-based capacity to be around 58.4 percent in 2026-27 and 58.7 percent in 2031-32, the statement added.
The plan highlights the need for energy storage capacity, with a requirement of 16.13 GW/82.37 GWh by 2026-27 and 73.93 GW/411.4 GWh by 2031-32. This includes pump storage plants (PSP) and battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity, said the statement.
In terms of coal requirements, the NEP estimates 866.4 million tonnes for 2026-27 and 1,025.8 million tonnes for 2031-32. Additionally, 28.9 million tonnes of coal imports are anticipated for plants designed to run on imported coal, said the statement.
To support the proposed generation capacity additions, the estimated fund requirement is Rs. 14,54,188 crores for 2022-2027 and Rs. 19,06,406 crores for 2027-2032. These estimates exclude potential projects commissioned after March 31, 2032. Lastly, the NEP emphasizes a reduction in the average emission factor, aiming for 0.548 kg CO2/kWhnet by 2026-27 and 0.430 kg CO2/kWhnet by 2031-32, said the statement.
Further, the statement highlighted that under the provisions of Section 3(4) of the Electricity Act, 2003, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) is obligated to formulate a National Electricity Plan (NEP) in alignment with the National Electricity Policy. Furthermore, the CEA is required to release and notify this plan every five years.
