Imported coal plants urged to operate fully until September

14 Jun 2023 CW Team

The power ministry announced that imported coal-based power plants were required to operate at maximum capacity until September 30 to meet the increased power demand caused by high temperatures nationwide. In February, the ministry had instructed these plants to run optimally from March 16 to June 15 under Section 11 of the Electricity Act. The recent directive effectively extended this timeline by more than three months.

Initially, power demand was projected to reach its peak at around 229 GW in April. However, due to changes in weather conditions, it reached 216 GW in April and 221 GW in May. Nevertheless, the rising temperatures in the last two weeks have further increased the demand. On June 9, India experienced its highest-ever peak power demand at 223 GW, although it was still lower than the projected peak.

Moreover, the upcoming challenge of the monsoon season is expected to result in a decline in domestic coal production and evacuation. Imported coal-based power plants can play a crucial role during this period. Section 11 of the Electricity Act allows the government to request a generating company to operate and maintain a station according to its directions in extraordinary circumstances.

This section was invoked last year as well, when power demand had surged and domestic coal supply and related supply chains were restricted. The notification was withdrawn in December, which resulted in a decrease in imported coal-based power generation and an increased reliance on domestic supplies.

Infrastructure Urban

07 Nov 2025

Piyush Goyal Boosts India–New Zealand Trade Ties

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, is on an official visit to New Zealand to strengthen bilateral economic and trade relations between the two nations. The fourth round of India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations is currently underway in Auckland from 3 to 7 November 2025. At the India–New Zealand Business Forum, organised by the Auckland Business Chamber, Shri Goyal joined Hon. Todd McClay, Minister for Trade of New Zealand, for a Fireside Chat moderated by Mr Simon Bridges, CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber. Opening the session, Shri Goyal r..

India, Romania Strengthen Trade and Industry Cooperation

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Shri Jitin Prasada, led the Indian business delegation at the India–Romania Business Forum, organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Bra?ov (CCIBv) in partnership with the Embassy of India in Bucharest and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India. The engagement focused on expanding bilateral investment and industrial cooperation between the two countries, bringing together business leaders from key sectors such as automotive, aerospace, defence, renewable energy, engineering services, a..

Maritime Security Seminar Strengthens Indian Ocean Cooperation

The Maritime Security Seminar, held as part of the Maritime Information Sharing Workshop (MISW) 25, concluded on 4 November 2025. The three-day workshop, themed “Enhancing Real-Time Coordination and Information Sharing Across the Indian Ocean Region,” is being hosted by the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC–IOR) and has brought together over 57 participants from 30 countries, including representatives from the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment (DCoC/JA), and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Eco..