India, the world’s third-largest carbon dioxide emitter, is burning more coal as energy supply disruptions due to the Iran war and a nationwide heatwave have boosted demand for the dirty fuel.
More than 70% of India’s power is generated from coal-fired plants, and energy experts told CNBC that the share is expected to rise this year.
In February, India announced that more than 52% of its total installed power generation capacity came from non-fossil fuel sources, with the majority coming from solar, hydropower and wind. Yet, coal-fired power plants, which account for nearly 43% of total generation capacity, remain the dominant source of energy.
Coal-fired power generation in India in April increased to 164.9 average gigawatts, compared with 160.7 average gigawatts last year, according to data shared by S&P Global Energy. According to the data, coal-fired power generation rose sequentially by 5.6 average gigawatts, or 3.5%, in April.
About 4% of India’s installed power generation capacity is gas-fired and runs on liquified natural gas, of which about 60% is imported through the Strait of Hormuz.
