- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: The Ministry of Power on Wednesday said that the country met an all-time maximum power demand of 250 GW during the current fiscal (FY25) as energy shortages at the national level dropped to a mere 0.1 per cent.
The MInistry in its year end review said that per capita electricity consumption in the country has surged to 1,395 kWh in 2023-24, marking a 45.8 percent increase (438 kWh) from 957 kWh in 2013-14.
The Ministry also informed that during the last year the country has achieved a major milestone as several households and villages have been electrified.
The average availability of electricity in rural areas has increased from 12.5 hours in 2014 to 21.9 hours, while urban areas now enjoy up to 23.4 hours of power supply, reflecting substantial improvements in the reliability and reach of electricity services.
The country’s total installed power generation capacity has surged by 83.8 per cent, increasing from 249 GW (as of March 31, 2014) to 457 GW (as of November 30, 2024).
As of December 2024, domestic coal-based (DCB) power plants held 41.4 MT of coal, which is targeted to increase to 50 MT by March 2025.
Sustained coal supply during Q1 and Q2 of FY 2025 ensured meeting the peak demand of 250 GW in May last year.
The government has finalized the National Electricity Plan from 2023 to 2032 for Central and State transmission systems to meet a peak demand of 458 GW by 2032. The total cost of the plan is Rs 9.15 lakh crore.
The Ministry under the previous plan 2017-22, about 17,700 circuit kilometers (ckm) lines and 73 GVA transformation capacity were added annually.
During the same period, the transformation capacity will increase from 1,290 giga volt ampere (GVA) to 2,342 GVA.
“Nine high-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines of 33.25 GW capacity will be added in addition to 33.5 GW presently operating. Inter-Regional transfer capacity will increase from 119 GW to 168 GW. This plan covers the network of 220 kV and above,” the ministry noted.
