<p>Centre has asked utilities to import 4 per cent of their coal requirement until March next year and has called a meeting to revive idling state-owned and private gas-based power utilities on Monday, letters seen by Reuters showed, as the country struggles to meet night-time power demand.</p>.<p>The country’s maximum power demand touched 240 gigawatt (GW) on Friday due to increased consumption on the back of hot weather conditions, an anticipated rise in industrial activity ahead of a festival season and high agricultural demand due to deficient rainfall.</p>.<p>India witnessed its driest August in a century, getting 36 per cent less rain than it usually does in the month.</p>.<p>The country's peak power shortage touched 10.7 GW on Thursday, data available with its Grid Controller showed.</p>.India extends coal import mandate for power to avoid blackouts.<p>India has an installed electricity generation capacity of 423 GW, of which 206 GW is based on coal and 131 GW is based on renewables. Gas-based capacity of 25 GW is largely non-operational.</p>.<p>"It is a non-solar hour (nighttime) shortage. Days when wind generation falls and demand is high become stressed. The gap has to be filled by thermal," a senior government official said.</p>.<p>India’s power ministry on Friday issued directions to all power plants to import 4 per cent of their overall coal requirement for blending with domestic coal uptil March next year to maintain stocks amid higher consumption.</p>.<p>“Grid India has projected continuation of elevated power demand levels throughout the current fiscal year," the letter issued to all coal-plants on Friday said. As a result "... the need has arisen to continue use of imported coal for blending purpose.”</p>.Ready to meet any demand surge: Coal India.<p>The power ministry had in January asked utilities to import 6 per cent of their coal needs until September. The mandate is now extended until March next year at 4 per cent.</p>.<p>India’s power and renewable energy minister R K Singh will chair the meeting on Monday, another letter showed. The meeting aims to discuss reviving the 25 GW of gas-based capacity either idled or underutilised due to lack of fuel.</p>.<p>Requests for comment from the federal power ministry on Saturday were not immediately answered.</p>.<p>India's electricity consumption grew 16 per cent in August according to available data from the grid operator. The country has been able to meet its daytime demand with solar power.</p>.<p>However, a limited addition to coal-based capacity in the past decade and a lack of energy storage technologies coupled with current low generation by wind and hydro power plants has led to a challenge in meeting nighttime supply needs.</p>
<p>Centre has asked utilities to import 4 per cent of their coal requirement until March next year and has called a meeting to revive idling state-owned and private gas-based power utilities on Monday, letters seen by Reuters showed, as the country struggles to meet night-time power demand.</p>.<p>The country’s maximum power demand touched 240 gigawatt (GW) on Friday due to increased consumption on the back of hot weather conditions, an anticipated rise in industrial activity ahead of a festival season and high agricultural demand due to deficient rainfall.</p>.<p>India witnessed its driest August in a century, getting 36 per cent less rain than it usually does in the month.</p>.<p>The country's peak power shortage touched 10.7 GW on Thursday, data available with its Grid Controller showed.</p>.India extends coal import mandate for power to avoid blackouts.<p>India has an installed electricity generation capacity of 423 GW, of which 206 GW is based on coal and 131 GW is based on renewables. Gas-based capacity of 25 GW is largely non-operational.</p>.<p>"It is a non-solar hour (nighttime) shortage. Days when wind generation falls and demand is high become stressed. The gap has to be filled by thermal," a senior government official said.</p>.<p>India’s power ministry on Friday issued directions to all power plants to import 4 per cent of their overall coal requirement for blending with domestic coal uptil March next year to maintain stocks amid higher consumption.</p>.<p>“Grid India has projected continuation of elevated power demand levels throughout the current fiscal year," the letter issued to all coal-plants on Friday said. As a result "... the need has arisen to continue use of imported coal for blending purpose.”</p>.Ready to meet any demand surge: Coal India.<p>The power ministry had in January asked utilities to import 6 per cent of their coal needs until September. The mandate is now extended until March next year at 4 per cent.</p>.<p>India’s power and renewable energy minister R K Singh will chair the meeting on Monday, another letter showed. The meeting aims to discuss reviving the 25 GW of gas-based capacity either idled or underutilised due to lack of fuel.</p>.<p>Requests for comment from the federal power ministry on Saturday were not immediately answered.</p>.<p>India's electricity consumption grew 16 per cent in August according to available data from the grid operator. The country has been able to meet its daytime demand with solar power.</p>.<p>However, a limited addition to coal-based capacity in the past decade and a lack of energy storage technologies coupled with current low generation by wind and hydro power plants has led to a challenge in meeting nighttime supply needs.</p>