What are the key reasons for backing down of Thermal Power Plants and its impacts ?
Some of the Key Reasons and its impacts on Backing Down the Thermal Power Plants in any country is as following:
-
Cost Efficiency
- Solar tariff (₹2.80/kWh) vs thermal (₹3.22–₹4.62/kWh).
- Average savings: ₹1.04/kWh during solar hours.
-
Regulatory Compliance
- Fulfillment of Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) targets.
- Supports state and central decarbonization goals.
-
Merit Order Dispatch
- Prioritizing lowest-cost generation sources.
- Solar is “must-run,” displacing thermal during peak solar generation.
-
Environmental Sustainability
- Reduction in carbon emissions.
- Positive ESG impact for utilities and state.
Impacts of Backing Down TPPs
Positive
- Financial Savings: Lower procurement cost for DISCOMs will create impact on the DISCOMs financials and reduce the tariffs
- Carbon Reduction: Supports climate commitments and also to meet the COP targets that are agreed by individual countries.
- Regulatory Alignment: Meets RPO and renewable integration targets as per the state and central targets.
Challenges
- Operational Stress: Frequent ramping increases wear-tear and O&M costs.
- Fixed Cost Burden: Thermal plants still incur fixed costs even when idle.
- Grid Stability Risks: Requires advanced forecasting and balancing. Maybe incorporating the automation and AI models into the system.
Impact-Risk Matrix
| Impacts | Risk |
|---|---|
| High Impact, Low Risk | Cost savings from solar substitution |
| High Impact, High Risk | Grid stability during high solar penetration |
| Low Impact, Low Risk | Regulatory compliance (RPO targets) |
| Low Impact, High Risk | Thermal plant economics due to fixed cost recovery |
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