India's private-sector utility Adani Power is set to build a 2,400MW thermal power plant in eastern Bihar. This would be the country's largest privately funded coal project in a decade, in the world's second-largest coal-importing nation.

The approximately $3bn plant is located in Pirpainti and will supply 2,274MW of power to Bihar's state-run distribution companies via three 800MW units, Adani said on 7 August. The first unit is expected to be commissioned in 2029 and the last expected to be operational in 2030.

The 2,400MW greenfield power project marks the biggest investment into coal from the conglomerate since commissioning of its Tiroda plant in Maharashtra in 2014.

India has been ramping up its coal-fired infrastructure in recent years. A total of 28GW has been added in the past five years and plans to add a further 80GW thermal capacity to a total of 302GW cumulative coal-fired capacity by 2031-32.

The private sector seems to be following this federal push to increase coal's share in its generation mix. JSW Energy plans to acquire 3.6GW of coal-fired projects in Chhattisgarh and is building a 1.6GW plant in West Bengal, while Adani has acquired 600MW of thermal generation capacity in Maharashtra.

Adani currently has a total operating capacity of 18.15GW and is targeting to achieve a base load power generation of 30.7GW, India's largest, by 2030.