Coal will continue to remain as the dominant fuel for power generation in India at least for the next three decades, but at the same time, renewable sources will lower the share of coal in the energy generation mix, according to a report by the NITI Aayog, the think-tank of the Government of India.
The reliance on coal for energy generation by the government is due to the availability of abundant resources in the country that renders it a cheap energy source, ensuring energy security as well. Referring to the shrinkage of coal in the energy mix, the report stated that the share of coal in the country’s energy mix will decrease to 42-48% by 2047 from 58% in 2015.
Although, the government intends to totally eliminate Thermal Coal imports in India by the end of this fiscal due to the abundance domestically, imports will be again resuming by 2037, when the coal production in the country will peak. Subsequently, imports could rise by 62% by 2047, if there is no efficiency in the coal mining in the country, the report warned.
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