Low-base effect may lead to y-o-y growth: Ind-Ra reportRestrictions following the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic could impact recovery in the growth in energy demand in the first quarter of this financial year, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) said. Ind-Ra said lockdowns on account of an increase in COVID-19 cases in various States could impact energy demand growth recovery in April-June 2022. However, all-India energy demand is expected to be higher year-on-year due to the low base effect as the country was under a stricter lockdown during the same period in 2020. The improvement in energy demand has helped the thermal plant load factor (PLF) increase to 66.5% in March 2021, from 51.5% a year earlier and 63.3% in February, it said. Despite the onset of summer, stricter lockdowns in major manufacturing States could impact demand from the industrial segment, in turn affecting thermal PLFs, the agency said.

Source: The Hindu May 06, 2021 22:10 UTC