State Government restricts any new thermal power initiative in Gujarat

State government of Gujarat has announced that they will not issue fresh authorization for the installation of new thermal power stations.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has decided not to grant approval for fresh thermal power initiatives in the state, as indicated by an official release. Non-conventional sources would satisfy the 8–10 per cent rise in annual demand for electricity.

The state government is aiming to curb combustion of fossil fuels for power generation and plans to encourage more projects in the state for renewable energies.

Another reason is that most of GSECL thermal power plants are closed down as a result of high generation costs. On the other hand, the few running plants are operating at a plant load factor (PLF) of only 40 per cent.

Currently the major share of energy generated in the state is by coal and is mainly provided by the private sector, comprising the Torrent Power, Adani Power, Essar and Tata Group.

The cumulative installed capacity of Gujarat is presently 26,800 MW. The socio-economic study of the state for 2018-19 reports that 19,555 MW of energy is contributed through conventional sources, while non-conventional sources such as solar, wind and hydro accounts for 7,273 MW of capacity.