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India Boosts Coal and Gas Output as Power Demand Hits Record Peak in Heatwave

 

 

April 28, 2026 - India ramped up coal and gas-fired power generation last week as peak demand ‌hit a record 256.1 gigawatts (GW) over the weekend amid a heatwave, official data showed.

  • India's peak power demand rose to a record 256.1 GW on April 25, up from the previous day's record of 252.08 GW, federal grid data showed.

  • India operated about 9.6 GW of gas-fired capacity and ramped up coal-fired generation to around 187 GW, Grid-India data showed.

  • NTPC, India's top thermal power producer, is procuring gas through the Indian Gas ‌Exchange and operating plants as advised by Grid-India, an official said.

  • Forecasts of the strongest El Nino weather phenomenon in a decade are expected to drive hotter, drier weather across Asia.

  • India expects peak power demand to reach around 270 GW this year and is confident of meeting it.

  • India is likely to rely more on coal and has deferred maintenance of nearly 10,000 megawatts of coal-fired capacity to July.