India To Suffer From 20,000 MW Energy Shortage As Monsoon Fails Due To El Nino

Posted on 15. Jul, 2009 by Ross in Asia, Energy Shortages

With the monsoon season less of a deluge and more of a drip, India is about to suffer under a gigantic energy shortfall which threatens to only get worse unless the rains come back in force.

The country is currently facing an energy shortage of 15,000 to 20,000 megawatts (MW) in electricity generation, Indian Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde declared yesterday. Speaking in New Dehli, Shinde said that deficient rain had yet to affect power generation, but hinted that reservoir levels were critically low and required immediate replenishment, adding:

If the monsoon does not improve now, we will be worried.

However, there is little likelyhood of the situation improving. This year’s El Nino weather patterns are largely responsible - the periodic weather phenomenon has historically always reduced Indian rainfall levels, causing drought across the sub-continent. The most notorious example was the El Nino event of 1877, with the corresponding Indian drought that year responsible for eight million deaths.

Most of India’s hydroelectric projects are operating at less than 40% of capacity, Power Secretary H.S. Brahma said today, with water reservoir levels at the hydroelectric power plants now hitting rock bottom. Hydroelectric power generation accounts for about 25% of the country’s supplies. Water is also vital to the country’s coal and nuclear power stations too, making water and energy generation intrinsically linked.

Looking ahead, India’s power generation problems will likely become worse as future El Nino events are likely to exaggerate the effects of climate change in the region. The Indian government will have to strive to make their energy industry less sensitive to droughts and water shortages, whilst individuals and businesses can focus on energy efficiency as a way to mitigate the effects of the inevitable price rises that such projects will cause.

Image by Ahron de Leeuw @ Flickr