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India Falls Drastically Short of FY25 Thermal Power Capacity Target

India added only 4.53 GW of new thermal power capacity in FY2024-25, missing its ambitious target of 15.4 GW by a wide margin, according to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). Out of the 22 planned thermal units, just six were commissioned, including plants like Ghatampur TPP, Khurja SCTPP, and Yadadri TPS. The remaining 16 units have been deferred to FY26.

The shortfall highlights persistent commissioning delays caused by land acquisition hurdles, supply chain bottlenecks, and infrastructure readiness—issues similar to FY24, when only 5.4 GW was added against a 14.7 GW target.

As of March 2025, India has 46 supercritical and ultra-supercritical units under construction with a cumulative capacity of 34.56 GW. The government now targets 12.86 GW of thermal additions for FY26, as the country grapples with soaring power demand, which peaked at 250 GW in May 2024—a record high.

Analysts stress that to meet the planned 80 GW of new thermal capacity by 2032, construction must commence by 2026-27, requiring immediate regulatory and logistical coordination. Despite the renewable surge, the intermittency of clean energy sources necessitates dependable thermal backups to ensure grid reliability and meet growing industrial and residential demand.