India Risks Power Outages as High Temperatures Boost Coal Demand

  • State-run miner Coal India producing at record levels in April
  • Coal supply shortages could weigh on industrial output: Nomura
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

India risks a repeat of last summer’s power outages as soaring temperatures boost demand for coal that’s used to generate about 70% of the country’s electricity.

The hottest March in more than a century has heralded an early start to summer, increasing power consumption by air conditioners and refrigerators. While state-run miner Coal India Ltd. is producing at record levels this month, that may not be enough to replenish power plant stockpiles that dwindled to barely a third of required levels at the start of this week.