India anticipated increased demand for gas, coal, and LNG as a heat wave warning was issued for some parts of the country. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in Pune issued a statement, warning of heat wave conditions over East India, which were likely to continue for a few days. This comes after IMD had already predicted earlier this year that most parts of the country would experience above normal maximum temperatures during summer.
The power sector in India is already in a precarious position as a shortage looms. Recently, an electricity shortage of 22.53 million kwh was recorded compared to a shortage of 3.30 million kwh. The highest electricity shortage, of 3.91 million kwh was recorded in the eastern state of Jharkhand, followed by the northern states of Haryana (3.08 million kwh) and Uttar Pradesh (3.05 million kwh).
The Indian government had planned to avert a potential power crisis and took some steps, such as ordering power plants using imported coal to run at full capacity to prevent widespread power outages. The Coal Ministry also had directed all power generation companies to blend imported coal up to 6 percent of their requirement until September. With the anticipated rise in demand for gas, coal and LNG, the power sector averted a crisis.
