India suffers peak power shortage of 9% in 11th Plan: Economic Survey

28 Feb 2013 Evaluate

As per the latest Economic Survey, during the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12), India witnessed a peak power shortage of 9% when over 50,000 MW new generation capacity was created during the same period. Peak power shortage is shortfall in generation capacity when electricity consumption is maximum.

The economic survey also noted that the resources currently allocated to energy supply are not sufficient for narrowing the gap between energy needs and energy availability. In India, electricity is produced with the help coal, crude oil, water and natural gas. As on March, 2011 country's estimated coal reserves were at about 286 billion tonnes, lignite at 81 billion tonnes, crude oil at 757 million tonnes and natural gas at 1,241 billion cubic metre (BCM). 

Further, the country's excessive reliance on imported crude oil make it imperative to have an optimal energy mix that will allow it to achieve its long-run goal of sustainable development. Import dependence on crude oil is projected at 78% while that in coal will be 22.4% by 2016-17, the survey said.

For the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), the capacity addition is estimated at 88,537 MW comprising of 26,182 MW in the central sector, 15,530 MW in the state sector and 46,825 MW in the private sector respectively. The capacity addition target for the year 2012-13 was set at 17,956 MW. A capacity of 9,854 MW has been added till December 2012.

Meanwhile, electricity generation by power utilities during 2012-13 was targeted to go up by 6.05% to 930 billion units. The growth in power generation during April-December, 2012 was 4.55% as compared to about 9.33% during April-December, 2011.

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