NTPC cranks up output by 29% as power demand spikes 17% in June – Times of India

NEW DELHI: State-run NTPC clocked a 29% growth in generation in June as overall demand jumped 17% during the month from a year ago, driven by a long spell of searing heatwave and a sharp rebound in economic activities.
India’s largest power producer cranked up generation to 34.8 BU (billion units) in June against 29.9 BU a year ago as overall demand rose to 134 BU from 114.4 BU in June 2021.
As a group entity, NTPC’s generation stood at 104.4 BU (billion units) in the April-June period, marking an increase of over 21% from 85.8 BU in the year-ago period, the company said on Monday.
The company’s coal-fired power plants operated at almost 80% capacity during the first quarter against 69% in the year-ago period, made possible by adequate provision of fuel.
Power consumption has been rising in double digits on a sustained basis since the beginning of the fiscal. Demand rose by more than 13% in April and 23% in May – albeit on a low base caused by second Covid wave in 2020.
As indicated by NTPC, coal-fired plants met most of the surging demand, even though low fuel inventories remained a worry for a large number of plants during late in May. But improved supplies on the back of a sharp increase in Coal India’s production has seen fuel stocks rising at power plants.