"Power ministry is in discussions to retire some 8,000 MW of coal-based thermal power plants, which are over 25 years old to cut down pollution," a source said.
These plants are old and running them is not financially viable. Besides, shutting them or replacing them with a better technology will help reduce pollution, he added.
India has a total installed power capacity of around 304 GW (1 GW is equal to 1,000 MW), of which about 186 GW is coal-fired. In the coal segment, central government PSUs account for 51 GW, states 64 GW and 70 GW is with the private sector.
Frequent breakdowns, inefficiency and pollution are the main reasons behind the decision to replace old plants with modern and environment-friendly ones in a phased manner.
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