Northern Grid CEA Emission Factor — FY 2024-25, 3-Year Trend, Mix

Northern grid CEA emission factor — FY 2024-25

The Northern regional grid emission factor for FY 2024-25 is 0.7335 tCO₂/MWh, computed by Batchwise from the CEA CO2 Baseline Database for the Indian Power Sector Version 21.0 (published 2025-11-01) plant-level data. This covers 9 states and union territories (Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand) and 754 grid-connected power stations per the CEA standard Northern grid boundary. Regional factors are not directly published in V21.0 — CEA publishes only the all-India aggregate; this figure is a transparent aggregation of plant-level data computed by Batchwise.

For entities whose operations are concentrated in the Northern grid and who have documented their location-based Scope 2 boundary at the regional level, this factor may be appropriate. For entities operating across multiple regions, the CEA all-India weighted-average grid emission rate of 0.7117 tCO₂/MWh is the more commonly applied single factor.

Latest factor + applicable conventions

Factor type	Value (tCO₂/MWh)	Year	Source
Northern grid computed EF	0.7335	FY 2024-25	Computed by Batchwise from CEA V21.0 plant-level data
All-India weighted-avg (incl. RES + Captive)	0.7117	FY 2024-25	CEA V21.0 Results sheet (CEA-published)
All-India Simple Operating Margin (OM)	0.9646	FY 2024-25	CEA V21.0 Results sheet (CEA-published)
All-India Build Margin (BM)	0.5119	FY 2024-25	CEA V21.0 Results sheet (CEA-published)
All-India Combined Margin (CM)	0.7383	FY 2024-25	CEA V21.0 Results sheet (CEA-published)

Two important notes on this table:

(a) The Northern grid computed emission factor is computed by Batchwise from CEA V21.0 plant-level data — regional factors are not directly published in V21.0. The all-India factors in this table are CEA-published values from the V21.0 Results sheet.

(b) For entities operating across multiple Indian regional grids, the all-India weighted-average grid emission rate remains the primary reference for Scope 2 calculations under the GHG Protocol location-based method. The Northern regional factor is appropriate where the entity has documented its location-based boundary at the regional level — typically, a single-region entity where substantially all facilities are served by the Northern grid. The entity’s methodology choice should be applied consistently year-on-year and disclosed in the methodology footnote.

The Operating Margin (OM) approximates the emission factor of plants whose generation is displaced by a new generator. The Build Margin (BM) approximates the emission factor of recently-built capacity. The Combined Margin (CM) is a weighted combination (commonly 75% OM + 25% BM) used in CDM project accounting. For BRSR Core and corporate Scope 2 inventory purposes, the weighted-average grid emission rate approach is more commonly applied than OM / BM / CM, which originate from CDM project-based accounting.

3-year trend — Northern grid computed emission factor

Reporting year	Computed EF (tCO₂/MWh)	Net generation (GWh)	Plants	Year-on-year movement
FY 2022-23	0.7298	677,921	581	baseline
FY 2023-24	0.7406	674,130	590	+1.5%
FY 2024-25	0.7335	714,016	754	−1.0%

All figures computed by Batchwise from CEA plant-level data (V19.0, V20.0, V21.0 respectively) — regional factors are not directly published in V21.0 or its predecessors.

Year-on-year commentary:

2023-24 increase (+1.5%): Net generation in the Northern grid fell slightly (677,921 GWh in 2022-23 to 674,130 GWh in 2023-24) even as absolute emissions rose (493 Mt to 497 Mt). This pattern reflects a year of below-average Himalayan hydro output — Himachal Pradesh’s net generation dropped from 76,447 GWh to 71,878 GWh (−6.0%), reducing the zero-emission hydro share in the mix. Simultaneously, UP and Rajasthan increased coal dispatch to compensate for both the hydro deficit and rising Northern demand, pushing the emission intensity upward.

2024-25 decline (−1.0%): Northern grid total generation recovered strongly to 722,196 GWh — a 5.8% increase over 2023-24. Himachal Pradesh’s hydro output rebounded to 77,869 GWh, approaching its 2022-23 level, contributing a larger zero-emission share to the mix. Rajasthan’s installed capacity expanded (26,188 MW to 26,788 MW) and its solar additions in the Jodhpur and Barmer corridors contributed incrementally to the grid. The net effect was a modest dilution of the coal-weighted emission intensity, pulling the regional factor down from 0.7406 to 0.7335. This is a moderate decline — the Northern grid’s structural coal dominance (led by UP with ~302 GWh of thermal output) limits how quickly the factor can fall.

Generation mix — Northern grid FY 2024-25

The generation mix below is computed from the per-state fuel mix percentages in the CEA V21.0 plant-level data, weighted by each state’s net generation for FY 2024-25 — computed by Batchwise from CEA V21.0 plant-level data — regional factors are not directly published in V21.0.

Fuel / source	Approximate share of Northern net generation
Coal	~72%
Hydro and other zero-emission (large hydro, run-of-river, RE)	~24%
Lignite	~2%
Gas	~2%

Dominant fuels: Coal is the single dominant thermal fuel in the Northern grid, concentrated in Uttar Pradesh (302,149 GWh, 96.2% coal-dispatched), Rajasthan (136,170 GWh, 76.5% coal + 11.1% lignite), Haryana (56,359 GWh, 99.3% coal), and Punjab (71,130 GWh, 87.7% coal). These four states together account for approximately 80% of Northern net generation.

Zero-emission contribution: Himachal Pradesh (77,869 GWh — exclusively large hydro and run-of-river, zero-emission per CEA data) and Jammu & Kashmir (30,660 GWh — hydropower dominant) are the region’s primary zero-emission generators. Uttarakhand (31,808 GWh) adds further hydropower, with a negligible gas-plant contribution (5% of state output, primarily at the Rishikesh gas station). Delhi’s generation (7,461 GWh) is 100% gas-fired. The combined hydro and RE share sits at approximately 24% of Northern net generation, substantially higher than in the Eastern or Western grids, moderating what would otherwise be a much higher emission factor.

States covered + regional context

The Northern regional grid under the CEA standard mapping covers nine states and union territories:

State / UT	Net generation FY 2024-25 (GWh)	Computed EF (tCO₂/MWh)	Character
Uttar Pradesh	302,149	0.9344	Coal-dominant; single largest generator in the Northern grid
Rajasthan	136,170	0.9013	Coal + lignite thermal; large solar additions underway in Jodhpur-Barmer corridor
Punjab	71,129	0.8454	Coal-dominant thermal; significant agricultural power draw
Himachal Pradesh	77,869	null (zero-emission)	Large hydro dominant; major zero-emission contributor to Northern mix
Haryana	56,358	0.9464	Coal-dominant; industrial belt (Gurgaon, Faridabad, Panipat) drives demand
Uttarakhand	31,808	0.0208	Run-of-river hydro dominant; minor gas-plant contribution
Jammu & Kashmir	30,660	null (zero-emission)	Hydropower dominant; transmission-constrained geography
Delhi	7,461	0.4127	Gas-fired generation only; net electricity importer from the broader Northern grid
Ladakh	411	null (zero-emission)	Small hydro and solar; off-grid and limited interconnection

State-level emission factors are also computed by Batchwise from CEA V21.0 plant-level data — they are not directly published by CEA.

The Northern grid is the most economically and demographically dense of India’s five regional grids. It serves Delhi (the national capital, a large commercial and government-services hub), the Indo-Gangetic Plain’s industrial belt (Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ludhiana, Kanpur, Agra, Jaipur), and the Himalayan states with their hydro-resource advantage. This creates a structurally split generation profile: large coal-thermal baseload concentrated in UP, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab serving the high-demand plains, balanced by substantial zero-emission hydropower from Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and J&K. Rajasthan is emerging as a significant solar corridor — its Jodhpur and Barmer districts host some of India’s largest solar parks, and these additions are beginning to show in the generation-mix data.

Comparison to other regional grids and all-India average

Regional grid	Computed EF FY 2024-25 (tCO₂/MWh)	Character
Northern (this page)	0.7335	Coal-heavy plains + hydro-rich Himalayan states
Western	0.8900	Coal + lignite dominant (Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, MP)
Southern	0.8086	Mixed: coal thermal + RE growth (Tamil Nadu wind, Karnataka solar)
Eastern	0.9280	Most coal-intensive of the five grids
North-Eastern	0.4338	Hydro-dominant; lowest emission intensity
All-India (CEA-published)	0.7117	Weighted average incl. RES + Captive, all five grids

All regional figures are computed by Batchwise from CEA V21.0 plant-level data — regional factors are not directly published in V21.0. The all-India figure is CEA-published from the V21.0 Results sheet.

The Northern grid sits in the middle of the regional spread — below the coal-heavy Western, Southern, and Eastern grids, and substantially above the hydro-dominant North-Eastern grid. Notably, the Northern computed factor (0.7335) is above the all-India average (0.7117), indicating that the Northern grid is a net emitter above the national average on a per-MWh basis. Entities with operations concentrated in UP, Haryana, or Rajasthan face a structurally higher Scope 2 exposure than the all-India factor would suggest if applied uniformly.

Scope 2 worked example — Northern grid FY 2024-25

For an entity with FY 2024-25 grid electricity consumption of 10,000 MWh, all facilities located within the Northern regional grid:

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

Scope 2 emissions = consumption × applicable emission factor
                  = 10,000 MWh × 0.7335 tCO₂/MWh
                  = 7,315 tCO₂e

Using the all-India weighted-average factor instead would yield 10,000 × 0.7117 = 7,117 tCO₂e — a difference of 198 tCO₂e (2.7%) for the same consumption. The choice of regional vs all-India factor is the entity’s documented methodology call, not a SEBI-prescribed requirement.

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

If the entity has procured 2,000 MWh via renewable energy contracts (PPAs or RECs) with a contractual emission factor of zero:

Renewable-procured: 2,000 MWh × 0 tCO₂/MWh = 0 tCO₂e
Residual grid:      8,000 MWh × residual mix factor

The residual mix factor for the Northern grid is not separately published. Entities applying the market-based method commonly use the applicable regional or all-India CEA factor as a conservative proxy, with the methodology disclosed. The approach applied should be documented and applied consistently.

For the BRSR Core attribute that consumes this Scope 2 figure, see the GHG emission intensity per revenue methodology page.

This worked example is illustrative only — not representative of a typical entity’s actual consumption profile or emission inventory. Values vary materially by sector, facility type, and energy-procurement arrangements.

When to use the Northern factor — BRSR Core context

Common practice patterns observed in BRSR / GHG inventory engagements for Northern grid entities:

• Single-region entity with all facilities in the Northern grid: the Northern computed emission factor (0.7335 tCO₂/MWh for FY 2024-25) may be used where the entity has documented its location-based boundary at the regional level. The methodology choice should be recorded in the entity’s GHG accounting policy and disclosed in the BRSR Core methodology footnote.
• Multi-region entity with some Northern facilities: the CEA all-India weighted-average grid emission rate (0.7117 tCO₂/MWh) is more commonly applied as a single factor across all facilities, avoiding the need to track each facility’s applicable regional grid.
• Entity with material renewable energy procurement: dual reporting is commonly observed — location-based using the applicable CEA factor (regional or all-India) plus market-based using procurement contracts, per GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance.
• Year-on-year consistency: whichever factor convention is adopted (regional vs all-India, single-year vs multi-year average), the choice should be applied consistently across the entity’s BRSR reporting cycle. A change in convention is treated as a methodology change and requires prior-year restatement or explicit disclosure.

The choice of factor variant, reporting year, and averaging convention is the entity’s documented methodology call — not a SEBI-prescribed methodology. Refer to the GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance and the latest applicable SEBI BRSR Core circular for the methodology context. BRSR Core assurance phase-in and applicable thresholds should be confirmed against the latest SEBI circular rather than any fixed date in this guide.

---

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

The sections above describe the regulatory and authoritative data for the CEA Northern grid emission factor — content that any entity preparing a Scope 2 inventory or BRSR Core submission would reference regardless of tooling.

The section below describes Batchwise’s service in this workflow.

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, the Scope 2 inventory, and any sign-off; the partner CA firm remains responsible for the assurance opinion.

In practice, Batchwise’s role for Northern grid entities applying the CEA factor includes:

• Multi-facility utility-bill aggregation — supporting structured aggregation of monthly electricity bills across facilities in UP, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and other Northern grid states, applying a consistent factor to each billing period
• Methodology documentation support — supporting the entity’s methodology footnote (which factor variant, which reporting year, which averaging convention, regional vs all-India choice)
• BRSR Core assurance coordination — operational support for partner CA firm engagement scoping and coordination for BRSR Core submissions that include Scope 2 verification

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 All-India Grid Emission Factor — the all-India weighted-average factor (0.7117 tCO₂/MWh for FY 2024-25), the primary reference for multi-region entities
• CEA Grid Emission Factors (pillar) — methodology context for all CEA factor variants and the 5-grid architecture
• Regional grid comparisons: Western Grid, Southern Grid, Eastern Grid, North-Eastern Grid
• State pages within the Northern grid (forthcoming): Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh
• GHG Emission Intensity per Revenue — the BRSR Core attribute that consumes the Scope 2 figure derived from this factor
• NGRBC Principle 6 — Environment — the principle pillar under which Scope 2 disclosures sit
• BRSR Core Assurance Service — engagement scope including Scope 2 verification for listed entities in the Northern grid