Page 4 - Most Trusted Logistics and Supply Chain Brands & Booming Fintech Companies
P. 4

EDITOR
                                                      FROM THE













                                              It’s more than coal.

                                     It’s about our future generation.




                    I   India’s enormous dependence on coal to   Today, due to the economy’s slow growth
                        meet its energy needs is alarming. It’s
                                                                 amid the pandemic, many states are moving
                                                                 towards a total blackout in the coming days
                        high time to accelerate our trajectory
                                                                 as over half of the country’s 135 coal-fired
                        towards a clean, green future.
                                                                 power plants, which in total supply around
                     Statistics show that being one of the largest   70 per cent of the country’s electricity,
                     coal consumers in the world, India consumed   have fuel stocks of less than three days.
                     942.63 million metric tons (1.03907 billion   A Reuters analysis of daily load despatch
                     short tons) of coal in 2019–20, of which    data from the central grid regulator showed
                     72.93% was produced domestically. Coal      India’s power supply deficit in the first seven
                     consumption grew at a CAGR of 5.28% over    days of October amounted to 11.2 per cent
                     the previous decade. Due to high demand     of the country’s total shortages throughout
                     and poor average quality, India is forced   the year.
                     to import high-quality coal to meet the
                     requirements of steel plants. India imported   The country’s aim to grow the ratio of
                     248.54 million metric tons (273.97 million   renewables in its energy mix as it targets
                     short tons) and exported 1.05 million metric   450 gigawatts of clean energy by 2030
                     tons (1.16 million short tons) of coal in 2019-  seems to be a tough target as India has to
                     20. India’s net imports of coal grew at a   travel a long road to switch to cost-effective
                     CAGR of 15.62% over the last 10 years.      and clean energy solution(s).

                     India is the second-largest coal importer   I wonder why we are still not prepared with a
                     in the world and its electricity sector, the   strategy to wipe off this dark veil.
                     largest consumer of raw coal in the country
                     (data:2019-2020).
                     Past year, when the Narendra Modi led
                     government amended the Coal Mines
                     (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 to open
                     opportunities for privatised, commercial
                     mining. The move caused raised eyebrows.
                     Reason: Coal blocks can now be owned by                  Editor in Chief & Publisher
                     private entities without any prior coal mining
                     experience and any “specified end-use.”                          Pooja Kundoo
                     Concluding in one line, coal remains the                  linkedin.com/in/pooja-kundoo
                     country’s ‘debated and disputed’ king
                     among its energy resources and once again,
                     the country seems to be drifting apart from
                     its clean energy mission.












            4|  Thecorporatereview.com  | India  | Vol. 2  |  Issue 9  | October 2021
   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9