India Reels Under Power Crisis, these 4 Alternatives can be Our Saviour
Amid the ongoing power crisis what could be the alternatives to coal. Here are some suggestions
Highlights:
- Lifeline of Delhi could slow down
- Blackout will be the new normal
- Alternatives of coal
As India reels under intense summer, several states across the country are witnessing blackouts as electricity demand has shot up. The blackouts are sparked by the shortage of coal. The coal shortage in India is causing a huge crisis. This has prompted electricity-producing states to cut off supply.
Coal still accounts for 70% of India’s power supply. Due to high demand and interruption in coal supply, the coal stock at power plants fell sharply leading to power outages in several states.
Lifeline of Delhi could slow down
The Delhi government has warned of a possible setback in providing an uninterrupted electricity supply to important establishments in the capital. This includes metro trains and hospitals.
Delhi power minister Satyendra Jain held an emergency meeting to assess the situation and wrote to the center requesting it to ensure adequate coal availability to power plants. This is happening due to the disruption of the power supply from Dadri-II and Unchahar power stations. Currently, 25-30 percent of Delhi’s electricity demand is met by these power plants, and coal is in short supply. These power stations are essential to ensure a continuous supply of electricity to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and hospitals.
The Dadri-II, Kahalgaon, Unchahar, Farakka, and Jhajjar power plants supply 1751 megawatts of electricity per day to Delhi. A total of 728 MW comes from the Dadri-II power station, while 100 MW comes from the Unchahar station.
Blackout will be the new normal
According to the daily coal report of the National Power portal, all these power plants face an acute shortage of coal. This, coupled with the sweltering heat has triggered blackouts across many parts of the country as states struggle to manage the record demand for electricity. Besides Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Kerala, are also facing a power outage crisis. Electricity supply fell short of demand by 1.88 billion units, or 1.6%, during the first 37 days of April. The country is facing a coal shortage, signaling an imminent power crisis.
Alternatives of coal
Amid the ongoing power crisis what can be the alternatives to coal.
Read more- Solar Energy Advantages and Disadvantages
Solar power
Technological innovation and falling solar- panel prices have made solar power much cheaper to compete on its own with other fuel sources in some regions when it comes to newly built plants.
Wind power
A wind power plant converts wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as electricity, pumping water, mechanical power, or sails for propulsion.
Natural gas
Natural gas is a major source of electricity generation through the use of gas turbines and steam turbines. Natural gas burns more cleanly than other fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, and produces less carbon dioxide per unit of energy released.
For an equivalent amount of heat, burning natural gas produces about 30% less carbon dioxide than burning petroleum and about 45% less than burning coal.
Read More- 5 Surprising Facts About Solar You Might Not Be Aware Of
Nuclear power
Unlike chemical burning, nuclear fission generates baseload electricity with no carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. Nuclear fission generates electricity rather than chemical burning, which produces no carbon, the villainous cause of global warming.
While a recovering economy has led to a surge in demand, heat waves are making the situation worse. Despite high coal production, the supply at power plants has still not gone above 15 days in the last 6 months. Lack of planning and coordination could be the real issue, so power up your smartphone before the blackout.
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