Power Sector News Roundup for March 2, 2026

CIL builds 175.5 MT coal buffer ahead of summer 2026

Coal India Limited (CIL) has built a three-layer coal reserve of about 175.5 million tonnes (MT) as electricity demand rises ahead of summer 2026. As of February 26, 2026, pithead stocks stood at 115 MT, while power plants held around 55 MT as of February 25, with 5.5 MT in transit, taking total readily accessible coal to approximately 175.5 MT. Exposed in-situ reserves at mines contributing 90% of annual output stood at 60.2 MT as of mid-February 2026. CIL produced 74.7 MT in February 2026, up 0.7% year-on-year, while cumulative production for April 2025 to February 2026 reached 683.7 MT, down 1.7%. February 2026 offtake was 62.0 MT, down 1.5%, with cumulative offtake at 674.6 MT, 2.8% lower year-on-year.

AGEL commissions 185 MW wind project at Khavda

Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) has commissioned a 185 MW wind power project at Khavda, Gujarat, through its wholly-owned stepdown subsidiary Adani Green Energy Twenty Five C Limited. The project was operationalised at 11:46 a.m. on February 28, 2026, after receiving regulatory clearances, with generation commencing on March 1, 2026. The commissioning increases AGEL’s total operational renewable energy capacity to 17,472.2 MW. The development was disclosed under Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.

Waaree says 126% US CVD has no material impact

Waaree Energies Limited said the US Department of Commerce’s preliminary countervailing duty (CVD) of 126% on modules using India-manufactured cells does not pose a material risk to operations or financial guidance. The clarification was issued during a special analyst and institutional investor call on February 25, 2026. The company sources cells for US-bound modules from jurisdictions subject to tariff rates of around 10% and operates 2.6 GW of module manufacturing capacity in the United States, with plans to expand to 4.2 GW by around the end of the calendar year. Its order book increased from about Rs 40,000 crore at the start of the financial year to roughly Rs 60,000 crore at the time of the third-quarter results. Management stated that the full-year financial guidance remains unchanged.

NHPC lowers 673 MT rotor at Subansiri Lower project

NHPC Limited lowered the 673 MT generator rotor of Unit 5 at its 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project on March 1, 2026, at 11:00 hrs, describing it as the heaviest equipment component handled at a hydroelectric plant in India. The operation was executed by GE Vernova and marks a milestone in the electro-mechanical erection works for Unit 5. The project comprises eight units of 250 MW each, aggregating to 2,000 MW, with five units representing 1,250 MW progressing toward commissioning. The project is located in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and is classified as one of national importance.

PFC transfers Saswad Transmission SPV to MSETCL

Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC) informed exchanges on February 27, 2026, that Saswad Transmission Limited has been transferred to Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (MSETCL) on February 26, 2026. The special purpose vehicle was incorporated for developing a 400/220 kV air-insulated substation at Saswad in Pune district, Maharashtra. The transfer was executed under a Share Purchase Agreement for Rs 3,79,31,992, in line with Ministry of Power guidelines. PFC clarified that the transaction is not a related party transaction or a slump sale.

Orient Green signs Rs 4.85 crore deal to repower 6.3 MW wind farm

Orient Green Power Company Limited said its material stepdown subsidiary, Clarion Wind Farm Private Limited, has signed a Supervision, Erection and Commissioning Agreement with Suzlon Southern Projects Limited for repowering a 6.3 MW wind farm at Devarkulam, Tamil Nadu. The agreement was executed on February 26, 2026, with a contract value of approximately Rs 4.85 crore, inclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST). The project is scheduled for completion by June 2026.

Delhi lays foundation for 55.5 MW BESS, launches Chandni Chowk cable undergrounding

Delhi has initiated four utility-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) projects with a combined capacity of 55.5 MW / 111 MWh at Shivalik, Dwarka and Goyala Khurd under BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL). A foundation stone was also laid for a 66/11 kV, 63 MVA gas insulated switchgear (GIS) indoor grid substation at Mandoli under BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL). Separately, the government launched an underground cabling project in Chandni Chowk to replace overhead power lines.

Green hydrogen certification scheme gets draft water emission norms

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued draft guidelines on February 25, 2026, to quantify greenhouse gas emissions from offsite water drawl and treatment under the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India (GHCI). The draft adopts a “Well-to-Gate” boundary and defines five supply scenarios with distinct emission calculation methodologies. Benchmarks include 0.603 kgCO₂e/m³ for municipal supply, 3.017 kgCO₂e/m³ for common desalination facilities, and 0.388 kgCO₂e/m³ for tertiary effluent. Feedback has been sought by March 13, 2026.

EAC clears 1,720 MW Kamala hydropower project; over 23 lakh trees to be felled

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) has recommended environmental clearance for NHPC Limited’s 1,720 MW Kamala Hydroelectric Project in Arunachal Pradesh at its 47th meeting. The Rs 23,764 crore project involves a 216-metre concrete gravity dam and an underground powerhouse with eight units of 210 MW each and one auxiliary unit of 40 MW, with expected generation of 6,870 million units annually. The total land requirement is 3,858.89 hectares, including 3,278 hectares of forest land, with over 23.4 lakh trees proposed to be felled. The EAC has imposed conditions including specified environmental flows, wildlife clearance, and allocations of over Rs 20,891 lakh for environmental management, Rs 50,664 lakh for resettlement and rehabilitation, and Rs 92,988 lakh for compensatory afforestation.