India boosts power plant coal reserves to 55 million tons
India
India is gearing up to seriously boost its coal reserves at power plants, from 18 million tons now to 55 million tons by March 2027.
This comes after recent fuel shortages led to blackouts and more expensive electricity, so the government wants to make sure the lights stay on, especially with big state elections like Uttar Pradesh coming up.
Power plant coal priority squeezes industries
While this plan should help keep energy supplies steady, giving power plants priority on coal is causing delays for other industries.
Rajiv Agarwal, secretary general of the Indian Captive Power Producers Association, points out that worsening smog could make things even trickier.
Even newsprint manufacturers are feeling the squeeze as coal supplies get tighter across different sectors.