India shifting import-reliant plants to local coal amid renewables
India is switching things up by using more homegrown coal at power plants that used to rely on imports.
Now, about 5.7 GW of the 18.7 GW capacity at these sites runs on local coal, and trials are underway to expand that to over half.
This move is helped by better renewable energy output and upgrades that let plants handle higher-ash Indian coal.
Imports from Indonesia, South Africa fall
With domestic production ramping up, imports from Indonesia and South Africa have dropped sharply, by 21% and 68% between January and April from a year earlier.
Some plants now use as much as 70% Indian coal, thanks in part to government efforts like doorstep fuel delivery.
Altogether, import-focused plants have picked up 16 million metric tons of local coal this year.
Coal-fired generation rose 10% in May
Coal-fired electricity generation jumped by 10% in May as demand soared.
At the same time, thermal coal imports hit a four-year low, showing just how much India's own supply has grown alongside renewables.