A Central Electricity Authority (CEA) committee has recommended implementing two-shift operations for aging coal-fired power plants by 2030 to facilitate India’s target of integrating large-scale renewable energy into the national grid. The proposal aims to establish operational flexibility across the thermal generation fleet to accommodate the variability of peak solar and wind generation while maintaining grid stability and minimizing renewable power curtailment.
Fleet Data Breakdown
The committee’s technical roadmap targets older thermal units to provide operational grid-balancing capability. Key numerical metrics and operational parameters associated with this fleet include:
- Target Fleet Size: 151 thermal units
- Fleet Age Threshold: Units aged 35 years and older
- Storage-Equivalent Flexibility: Operational flexibility equivalent to approximately 27 GW of energy storage capacity
- Grid Integration Target: Alignment with national objectives to absorb higher renewable energy capacity by 2030, supporting the broader 500 GW non-fossil energy goal
Operational Framework and Renewable Energy Absorption
Two-shift operation alters the operational regime of coal-fired units from continuous base-load generation to a cyclic, start-stop operating framework. Under this operational mode, base-load thermal units ramp down or shut off during hours of peak solar and wind output, enabling the grid to absorb excess clean energy generation. The thermal units are then restarted or ramped back up to supply power when renewable output declines or during peak demand periods.
According to the committee’s findings, transitioning these aging units into a flexible cycling operating mode can provide an additional 12 to 15 years of extra operating life for the fleet, delivering a cost-effective mechanism for grid balancing without immediate plant decommissionings.
Feasibility Mandate and Technical Baseline
Before retrofits or two-shift regimes are introduced, the committee recommends conducting detailed, plant-specific feasibility studies for each target station. These site-by-site evaluations are essential because technical requirements and capital expenditures vary significantly across individual stations, while part-load cyclic operation causes heat rate deterioration and thermal creep-fatigue stress on critical boiler and turbine components.
Within this implementation roadmap, operating at a 40% technical minimum load (MTL) without secondary oil support serves as the foundational baseline test for plant flexibilisation before units can transition into full two-shift regimes. Achieving a 40% MTL without secondary oil support directly reduces operating costs (Opex) and fuel oil consumption, validating the economic viability of the operational shift. This approach builds upon empirical pilot tests conducted with CEA support at facilities including Dadri Thermal Power Station (TPS), Mouda TPS, and Sagardighi TPS, which successfully demonstrated 40% MTL capabilities, evaluated ramping parameters, and identified necessary control system modifications.
Official Sources & References
- Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Ministry of Power, Government of India Report of the Committee on Wear & Tear, O&M and Plant Lifespan Implications due to Flexible Operation and Analysis of 2-Shift Operational Data (2026). Official Portal: Central Electricity Authority (CEA)[30][31]
- Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Ministry of Power, Government of India Flexibilisation of Coal Fired Power Plant: A Roadmap for Achieving 40% Technical Minimum Load (2023). Official Portal: Central Electricity Authority (CEA)[30][32]
- Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Ministry of Power, Government of India CEA (Flexible Operation of Coal Based Thermal Power Generating Units) Regulations, 2023. Official Portal: Central Electricity Authority (CEA)[33][34]
- Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Ministry of Power, Government of India Technical Specifications for Sub-critical Thermal Power Projects (2008) & Standard Technical Features for BTG Systems for Supercritical 660/800 MW Units (2013). Official Portal: Central Electricity Authority (CEA)[35][36]
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