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India has extended the mandate for the country's imported coal-based power plants to operate at full capacity until Dec. 31 in anticipation of higher power demand, according to a government circular reviewed by Reuters.

Previously, the government had allowed the imported coal-based plants to operate at full capacity until Oct. 15.

The order is not yet public and the federal power ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The order, dated Tuesday, invoked an emergency clause available to the government in directing companies, including Tata Power, Adani Power and Vedanta, to operate their imported coal fired plants at full capacity.

Imported coal-based power plants in India have a combined annual capacity of nearly 16 gigawatts.

The mandate comes despite the country's coal fired power output falling for a second straight month in September on an annual basis due to slower growth in electricity usage and a surge in solar generation.

India's overall coal-based power generation over April-September, the first half of the current fiscal year, rose by 5% from a year earlier, government data shows.