Solar leads with 33.2 BU as India’s RE output hits 124.9 BU in Jan-Mar quarter: CEA

Thermal power, including coal, lignite, gas, and diesel, continued to dominate the energy mix with 365.5 BU, comprising 71.3 per cent of the total generation in the January–March 2025 period. Hydro sources contributed 21.7 BU, or 4.2 per cent of total generation.

New Delhi: India generated 512.2 billion units (BU) of electricity during the fourth quarter of 2024-25, with renewable energy sources contributing 124.9 BU, accounting for 24.4 per cent of the total generation, according to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) quarterly report.Thermal power, including coal, lignite, gas, and diesel, continued to dominate the energy mix with 365.5 BU, comprising 71.3 per cent of the total generation in the January–March 2025 period. Hydro sources contributed 21.7 BU, or 4.2 per cent of total generation.Solar power led among renewable sources with 33.2 BU generated during the quarter. Wind energy contributed 23.2 BU, followed by bagasse-based cogeneration at 11.2 BU. Other sources included small hydro (4.4 BU), non-bagasse biomass (2.3 BU), and waste-to-energy (0.2 BU).State-wise data showed that Gujarat generated the highest solar energy at 6,984 million units (MU), followed by Rajasthan with 5,853 MU and Karnataka with 4,511 MU. In wind generation, Tamil Nadu led with 7,294 MU, followed by Gujarat (4,539 MU) and Maharashtra (3,416 MU).

As of March 31, 2025, India’s total installed power generation capacity stood at 443.6 gigawatts (GW). Renewable energy contributed 178.8 GW, including 89.8 GW from solar, 46.4 GW from wind, 11.3 GW from biomass, and 5.1 GW from small hydro. Hydropower (large hydro) capacity was 47.5 GW, nuclear capacity stood at 8.2 GW, while thermal power capacity, including coal, lignite, gas, and diesel, was 208.9 GW.

Within thermal sources, coal-based generation contributed the highest at 339.1 BU, or 66.2 per cent of total generation. Gas-based power contributed 21.1 BU, lignite 4.8 BU, and diesel 0.4 BU.The plant load factor (PLF) for coal-based power stations was recorded at 68.7 per cent in Q4 FY25. Gas-based power plants reported a PLF of 15.1 per cent, while lignite-based plants operated at a PLF of 53.9 per cent.In terms of thermal power generation by states, Maharashtra topped the list with 35,814 MU, followed by Uttar Pradesh (30,820 MU), Gujarat (26,654 MU), and Chhattisgarh (25,288 MU). In hydro generation, Himachal Pradesh led with 4,218 MU, followed by Jammu and Kashmir (3,187 MU) and Uttarakhand (2,262 MU).The CEA’s quarterly report provides consolidated performance data on generation, installed capacity, and plant load factors from central, state, and private sector utilities across the country.