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Photos: Coal consumption in India wanes to lowest in two decades

Updated On Aug 10, 2017 02:21 PM IST

The rate of increase in coal consumption in India is now the slowest it’s been since 2000, leading analysts to propound that India could be looking at peak coal within five to 10 years, instead of the decades of surging consumption patterns predicted by international agencies in earlier estimates.

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India has long been projected to become a carbon belching behemoth. However, in the last two years, coal consumption has slowed to its lowest level in two decades despite the economy growing at a steady pace of 7%. Thermal power plants have been running below capacity and as of June 2017 were operating at only 57% potential. This slowdown is expected to continue due to declines in manufacturing output coupled with a roadmap towards expanding renewable energy output and measures to improve efficiency in existing power plants. (Ajay Verma/REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Aug 10, 2017 02:21 PM IST

India has long been projected to become a carbon belching behemoth. However, in the last two years, coal consumption has slowed to its lowest level in two decades despite the economy growing at a steady pace of 7%. Thermal power plants have been running below capacity and as of June 2017 were operating at only 57% potential. This slowdown is expected to continue due to declines in manufacturing output coupled with a roadmap towards expanding renewable energy output and measures to improve efficiency in existing power plants. (Ajay Verma/REUTERS)

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India is the world’s third-largest carbon emitter and relies mostly on coal-fired power plants to produce most of its energy. With a population of 1.3 billion and a fast industrializing economy, those energy needs had been forecast to soar. The rate of increase in coal consumption however is now the lowest it’s been since the year 2000. Last year, it dropped to 1.5% from the decade’s average of 6%. (Kevin Frayer/AP) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Aug 10, 2017 02:21 PM IST

India is the world’s third-largest carbon emitter and relies mostly on coal-fired power plants to produce most of its energy. With a population of 1.3 billion and a fast industrializing economy, those energy needs had been forecast to soar. The rate of increase in coal consumption however is now the lowest it’s been since the year 2000. Last year, it dropped to 1.5% from the decade’s average of 6%. (Kevin Frayer/AP)

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However within the wild energy market, predictions are proving tricky. A similar correction is under way in China, where officials and analysts have had to redraw predictions that its annual coal needs would peak by 2030. Instead, according to the International Energy Agency, China’s coal use and emissions topped out in 2013. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Aug 10, 2017 02:21 PM IST

However within the wild energy market, predictions are proving tricky. A similar correction is under way in China, where officials and analysts have had to redraw predictions that its annual coal needs would peak by 2030. Instead, according to the International Energy Agency, China’s coal use and emissions topped out in 2013. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

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The slowdown in India’s coal consumption is expected to continue due to manufacturing output dropping to a record 7.9% in the fiscal year 2016-17, after an average of 9% for 2004-08 and a high of 12.3% in 2006-07. (Amit Dave/REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Aug 10, 2017 02:21 PM IST

The slowdown in India’s coal consumption is expected to continue due to manufacturing output dropping to a record 7.9% in the fiscal year 2016-17, after an average of 9% for 2004-08 and a high of 12.3% in 2006-07. (Amit Dave/REUTERS)

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Plunging costs for solar and wind energy as well as greater enthusiasm towards hydropower, are showing results in the form of India’s renewable energy generation capacity increasing by 20 GW a year toward a goal of 175 GW by 2022. The annual growth in coal demand is expected to in effect decrease to as little as 2.5%. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Aug 10, 2017 02:21 PM IST

Plunging costs for solar and wind energy as well as greater enthusiasm towards hydropower, are showing results in the form of India’s renewable energy generation capacity increasing by 20 GW a year toward a goal of 175 GW by 2022. The annual growth in coal demand is expected to in effect decrease to as little as 2.5%. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

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India is also now policing rail shipments more rigorously to reduce coal theft with establishment of new plants requiring the use of supercritical technology that further raises the efficiency of coal burned. By washing coal before it’s burned the power plants burn less to produce the same amount of output, thus causing less damage to the environment. (AP) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Aug 10, 2017 02:21 PM IST

India is also now policing rail shipments more rigorously to reduce coal theft with establishment of new plants requiring the use of supercritical technology that further raises the efficiency of coal burned. By washing coal before it’s burned the power plants burn less to produce the same amount of output, thus causing less damage to the environment. (AP)

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According to Tim Buckley, the Asia energy finance director for the Cleveland-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, the country’s future coal demand could be near flat in the future, greatly aided by reductions in grid transmission losses. (Adnan Abidi/REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Aug 10, 2017 02:21 PM IST

According to Tim Buckley, the Asia energy finance director for the Cleveland-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, the country’s future coal demand could be near flat in the future, greatly aided by reductions in grid transmission losses. (Adnan Abidi/REUTERS)

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Worried about the changes in energy sector, India’s coal mining giant Coal India Ltd last month hired KPMG to draft a road map for its future growth beyond 2030. Partha Bhattacharyya, told an energy workshop last month in Singapore that Coal India should be working on finding alternative uses for its coal as demand from the power sector wanes. He noted China is coal to make fertilizers and methanol, and South Africa to make oil and chemicals. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Aug 10, 2017 02:21 PM IST

Worried about the changes in energy sector, India’s coal mining giant Coal India Ltd last month hired KPMG to draft a road map for its future growth beyond 2030. Partha Bhattacharyya, told an energy workshop last month in Singapore that Coal India should be working on finding alternative uses for its coal as demand from the power sector wanes. He noted China is coal to make fertilizers and methanol, and South Africa to make oil and chemicals. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

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According to officials from The Energy and Research Institute, improved battery technology in the future would enable weather and time dependent solar and wind power to serve as round the clock power sources. Reports say battery prices have already fallen by two-thirds and by the next decade solar power with battery storage are expected to be cheaper than coal-fired power. (Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Aug 10, 2017 02:21 PM IST

According to officials from The Energy and Research Institute, improved battery technology in the future would enable weather and time dependent solar and wind power to serve as round the clock power sources. Reports say battery prices have already fallen by two-thirds and by the next decade solar power with battery storage are expected to be cheaper than coal-fired power. (Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP)

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For years, the country has argued in global climate talks that it should have the unfettered right to expand its coal power generation to aid its development and raise hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. However with a decrease in investment in the coal-fired power plants, India’s shift to a more renewable and energy efficient state could be ushered in earlier than expected. (Rajanish Kakade/AP) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Aug 10, 2017 02:21 PM IST

For years, the country has argued in global climate talks that it should have the unfettered right to expand its coal power generation to aid its development and raise hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. However with a decrease in investment in the coal-fired power plants, India’s shift to a more renewable and energy efficient state could be ushered in earlier than expected. (Rajanish Kakade/AP)

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