North-Eastern Grid Emission Factor: Lowest in India (FY 2024-25)

North-Eastern grid emission factor — FY 2024-25

The North-Eastern regional grid emission factor for FY 2024-25 is 0.4285 tCO₂/MWh — the lowest of India’s five standard regional grids. Computed by Batchwise from plant-level data in the CEA CO2 Baseline Database for the Indian Power Sector Version 21.0 (published November 2025), this covers 157 grid-connected power stations across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, with net generation of 39,451.8 GWh and absolute emissions of 16.905 million tonnes CO₂. CEA does not directly publish a North-Eastern regional factor; this is a transparent plant-level aggregation. The low factor reflects geography — the Brahmaputra and Barak river systems make large-scale hydropower structurally available to this region in a way that coal-belt grids cannot replicate — not a policy outcome.

All five emission factor variants — North-Eastern grid, FY 2024-25

The table below shows the Batchwise-computed North-Eastern regional factor alongside the CEA-published all-India variants for context. Unlike the all-India page, only the weighted-average grid emission rate (incl. RES + Captive) is computed at the regional level from plant data; OM/BM/CM variants for the North-Eastern grid specifically are not separately computed in this dataset.

Factor	Value (tCO₂/MWh)	Source / basis
NE grid — weighted avg (incl. RES + Captive)	0.4285	Computed by Batchwise from CEA V21.0 plant-level data
All-India — weighted avg (incl. RES + Captive)	0.7117	CEA-published, V21.0 Results sheet
All-India — Operating Margin (OM)	0.9646	CEA-published, V21.0
All-India — Build Margin (BM)	0.5119	CEA-published, V21.0
All-India — Combined Margin (CM)	0.7383	CEA-published, V21.0

Methodology basis for the regional factor: Σ absolute CO₂ emissions across all 154 NE plants in CEA V21.0 ÷ Σ net generation (GWh) × 1,000 = tCO₂/MWh. The Operating Margin (OM), Build Margin (BM), and Combined Margin (CM) — CDM-derived terms from the UNFCCC Tool to Calculate the Emission Factor for an Electricity System, Version 7.0 — are not separately computed at the NE regional level in the Batchwise dataset. For BRSR / corporate Scope 2 under GHG Protocol location-based method, the weighted-average grid emission rate is the more commonly applied figure.

3-year trend — North-Eastern grid weighted-average emission rate

Reporting year	Plants	Net generation (GWh)	Absolute emissions (Mt CO₂)	Computed EF (tCO₂/MWh)	Year-on-year
2022-23	107	43,166.1	19.132	0.4432	baseline
2023-24	108	40,241.5	18.306	0.4523	+2.6%
2024-25	157	39,451.8	16.905	0.4285	−5.3%

The 3-year trajectory shows a 2023-24 rise (driven by lower Arunachal hydro output in a drier basin year, compressing the zero-emission denominator) followed by a sharper 2024-25 fall. The 2024-25 decline is explained by two concurrent movements: (a) Tripura’s gas generation dropped from 12,232 GWh in 2023-24 to 9,727 GWh in 2024-25, with corresponding CO₂ emissions falling from 5.486 Mt to 4.345 Mt — Tripura’s Agartala GT and Monarchak CCPP output varies with gas supply from the Tripura fold belt fields, not purely with demand; and (b) plant count rose from 108 to 154 between the two editions as additional small hydro plants entered the CEA database, expanding the zero-emission denominator further.

Generation mix — North-Eastern grid, FY 2024-25

The table below shows the composition of North-Eastern net generation by state in FY 2024-25, derived from the CEA V21.0 plant-level data. Generation percentages are computed from plant-level net generation figures.

State	Net generation (GWh)	Share of NE grid	Dominant fuel	Emission intensity
Assam	17,242.5	44.2%	Coal (~50.7%) + Gas (~37.8%)	0.7284 tCO₂/MWh
Tripura	9,727.1	24.9%	Gas (100%)	0.4467 tCO₂/MWh
Arunachal Pradesh	8,368.3	21.5%	Hydro (100%)	zero-emission
Meghalaya	1,802.1	4.6%	Hydro (100%)	zero-emission
Manipur	1,405.7	3.6%	Hydro (100%)	zero-emission
Nagaland	427.9	1.1%	Hydro (100%)	zero-emission

Approximately 69% of North-Eastern net generation in 2024-25 contributes zero emissions in the CEA accounting — Arunachal, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Nagaland are hydro-only; Tripura contributes 25% of the grid’s generation from gas (lower intensity than coal). Only Assam generates from coal (coal ~50.7% of Assam’s own thermal mix), making it the grid’s sole source of coal-related CO₂. Arunachal Pradesh’s 2,230 MW installed hydro capacity represents a fraction of its long-run potential; future capacity additions here would further reduce the regional factor.

States covered and regional context

The North-Eastern grid covers six states in CEA V21.0’s plant mapping: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. Mizoram appears under a separate mapping classification in V21.0 and is not included in this aggregation.

State profiles:

• Assam (state page) — the grid’s largest generation state (44.2% of NE net generation). Coal-fired plants (APGCL’s Namrup and Bongaigaon stations) and gas-fired units (NEEPCO’s Kathalguri CCPP, OIL India CPPs) account for Assam’s thermal output. Primary industrial consumers are the oil and gas sector (Dibrugarh / Duliajan basin) and the Brahmaputra Valley tea industry.

• Tripura (state page) — 100% gas-fired generation from the Agartala GT Station and Monarchak CCPP, using gas from ONGC / OIL Tripura fields. Generation has declined from 13,664 GWh in 2022-23 to 9,727 GWh in 2024-25 due to gas supply variability.

• Arunachal Pradesh (state page) — entirely hydro in the CEA data (2,230 MW installed), anchored by NEEPCO’s Ranganadi HEP and several run-of-river stations on the Siang, Subansiri, and Lohit systems. Large undeveloped potential; incremental additions here directly lower the NE grid factor.

• Meghalaya — hydro-dominant, with the Umiam and Myntdu-Leshka cascades as the primary grid-connected generation sources; V21.0 shows zero thermal emissions from Meghalaya plants.

• Manipur, Nagaland — small states in grid terms (combined 1,834 GWh in 2024-25), both hydro-only in the V21.0 data. NHPC’s Loktak project (105 MW) anchors Manipur’s generation.

Comparison to other regional grids

Regional grid	Computed EF 2024-25 (tCO₂/MWh)	States covered	Plants
Northern Grid	0.7315	J&K, HP, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, UP, Uttarakhand, Ladakh	754
Western Grid	0.8900	Gujarat, Maharashtra, MP, Chhattisgarh, Goa	644
Southern Grid	0.8086	AP, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, Lakshadweep	721
Eastern Grid	0.9280	Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Sikkim	383
North-Eastern Grid	0.4285	Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh	157
All-India (CEA-published)	0.7117	All states	2,818

The North-Eastern grid’s 0.4285 tCO₂/MWh sits at less than half the Eastern grid’s 0.9280 and approximately 61% of the all-India weighted average. At 1,000 MWh of consumption, the NE grid produces approximately 429 tCO₂e under the location-based method vs 928 tCO₂e for the Eastern grid — a difference of ~495 tCO₂e per 1,000 MWh. The practical implication: entities with material NE operations (oil and gas exploration, tea processing, small-scale manufacturing) carry a structurally lower Scope 2 intensity than comparable facilities in coal-belt regions.

The North-Eastern grid is also the smallest by net generation — 38,974 GWh in FY 2024-25 vs 1,074,069 GWh for the Western grid. This small grid size means few large industrial entities are significant NE grid consumers; BRSR Core applicability in this region is correspondingly limited relative to Maharashtra or UP.

Scope 2 calculation — worked example

An entity with FY 2024-25 grid electricity consumption of 5,000 MWh sourced from the North-Eastern regional grid:

Location-based method (per GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance):

Scope 2 emissions = consumption × applicable regional emission factor
                  = 5,000 MWh × 0.4285 tCO₂/MWh
                  = 2,142.5 tCO₂e

For context, the same consumption applied against the all-India factor:

5,000 MWh × 0.7117 tCO₂/MWh = 3,558.5 tCO₂e

The difference (1,389 tCO₂e per 5,000 MWh) is material for entities preparing a location-based Scope 2 inventory for a BRSR Core submission. Whether to apply the regional or all-India factor is the entity’s documented methodology choice — not a SEBI-prescribed rule.

Market-based method: If the entity holds PPAs or RECs backed by zero-emission sources, those MWh are calculated at the contractual factor; the residual is calculated at the grid factor. The market-based residual mix factor is not separately published by CEA — document the approach per GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance.

Illustrative only — not representative of a typical entity. Actual factor depends on the entity’s documented methodology choice.

When to use the North-Eastern factor — BRSR Core context

The North-Eastern regional grid factor is relevant in a specific set of circumstances:

• Entity with primary operations in NE states: entities whose principal consumption facilities are in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur, or Nagaland may document the NE regional factor as the location-based Scope 2 factor, consistent with the GHG Protocol’s regional grid approach, provided the entity has documented this boundary and applies it consistently.
• Multi-region entity disclosing regional breakdown: an entity operating across multiple Indian regions may apply the all-India factor as the headline Scope 2 number and disclose applicable regional factors for individual facility clusters as supplementary methodology context.
• Sectors with NE operational presence: upstream oil and gas exploration (Assam-Arakan Basin, Tripura fold belt — OIL India, ONGC), tea industry (Brahmaputra Valley estates), small-scale manufacturing (Guwahati industrial belt), and cement / mining (Meghalaya limestone belt) are the primary industrial consumer segments in the NE grid. These sectors’ Scope 2 calculations draw directly on the NE regional factor.

The North-Eastern factor is not applicable for entities whose only NE presence is an administrative office — the consumption volume would typically be immaterial relative to primary-grid operations.

The choice of factor variant, reporting year, and averaging convention is the entity’s documented methodology call, applied consistently year-on-year and disclosed in the BRSR methodology footnote. Refer to the latest applicable SEBI BRSR Core circular and GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance for the current framework. For the BRSR Core GHG intensity attribute that consumes the Scope 2 factor, see the GHG emission intensity per revenue methodology page.

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Where Batchwise fits (service description — separate from the regulatory data above)

The sections above describe the regulatory and authoritative data for the North-Eastern grid emission factor. The section below describes Batchwise’s service — kept deliberately separate so readers can distinguish what the factor is from what Batchwise does.

Batchwise is a workflow and data-preparation service layered over the BRSR / Scope 2 calculation framework — not part of the framework itself. The entity remains responsible for the BRSR submission and Scope 2 inventory; the partner CA firm remains responsible for the assurance opinion.

In practice, Batchwise’s role includes:

• Multi-location utility-bill aggregation — supporting structured aggregation of monthly utility bills across NE grid facilities for consistent Scope 2 calculation
• Methodology documentation support — supporting the entity’s methodology footnote (which factor, which reporting year, which averaging convention, regional vs all-India basis)
• BRSR Core assurance coordination — operational support for partner CA firm engagement scoping, working-file preparation, and coordination

The signed BRSR is the entity’s submission, signed by the entity’s authorised signatory under the entity’s authorised-signatory DSC. The assurance opinion is a separate signed artefact — it is the partner CA firm’s output, on the partner CA firm’s letterhead, under the partner CA firm’s signing partner’s DSC. The entity’s authorised signatory does not sign the assurance opinion.

Related reading

• CEA Grid Emission Factors — All-India (pillar) — methodology context for all CEA factor variants
• CEA All-India Weighted-Average Factor — the CEA-published all-India number and 5-year history
• Regional factor pages: Northern, Western, Southern, Eastern
• State pages in this grid: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland
• GHG Emission Intensity per Revenue — the BRSR Core attribute that consumes this factor
• NGRBC Principle 6 — Environment — the principle pillar
• Audit Evidence Documentation for BRSR — working-paper discipline including utility-bill evidence
• BRSR Core Assurance Service — engagement scope including Scope 2 verification