Uttarakhand CM Requests Coal Block for Thermal Power Plants

• 19 Jan 2024

Why in News?

Recently, CM Dhami met Union coal and mines minister Pralhad Joshi in Delhi and requested him to allot a coal block with storage capacity of about 125 million tonnes to Uttarakhand on priority for setting up pit-head thermal power plants of minimum 1,000 MW.

Key Points

• Uttarakhand is among few states where no thermal power station is operational.
• Due to favourable industrial policy, there has been rapid industrial development in the state as a result of which demand for electricity has continuously increased.
• According to the CM, power shortage becomes severe during the winter as cold temperatures reduce the flow of water in rivers. The demand for electricity in the state is increasing at the rate of about 4% to 5 % each year.

Thermal Power Sector in India

• Thermal power plants or thermal power stations are power stations that generate electricity from heat. Thermal power plants use different sources of energy to produce heat, including coal, oil, natural gas, and geothermal sources.
• The thermal power sector has been a major source of electricity generation in India, accounting for around 75% of the country's total installed power capacity.
• India's thermal power plants rely heavily on coal, which is mostly imported from other countries. This can lead to supply disruptions and price volatility.
• The top five states with the highest installed capacity of thermal power are – Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.