Green energy to constitute over half of India's capacity addition by 2030: report
02 Jul 2019
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Renewable push: Solar and wind projects are seen constituting 440 gigawatts of capacity out of the projected 831 gigawatts in more than a decade, the Central Electricity Authority said in a report - Reuters
With electricity generation from renewable sources estimated to exceed 36.50 per cent by 2021-22, the prime minister’s clean energy target of 40 per cent renewable power capacity by 2030 will be exceeded if the projections by the Central Electricity Authority hold true.
The projected installed capacity of the power plants in the country by the end of 2021-22 as per the National Electricity Plan (NEP) is 4,79,419 MW comprising 51,301 MW Hydro; 2,17,302 MW coal; 25,736 MW gas; 10,080 MW nuclear, 175,000 MW RE has been considered as the base capacity.
Renewable power, which comprises electricity generated from sources such as wind, solar and hydel, thus represents 36.50 per cent of the country’s projected power generation by 2021-22.
The 19th Electric Power Survey (EPS) projections for peak electricity demand and electrical energy requirement estimates total energy contribution from solar roof-top as negative. However the energy contributed by solar roof top plants during the year 2029-30 has been estimated to be about 75 BU.
And, by 2030, solar and wind energy projects may constitute over half of India’s total power capacity of by 2030, surpassing the 40 per cent target, according to a draft report by the CEA.
Solar and wind projects are seen constituting 440 gigawatts of capacity out of the projected 831 gigawatts in more than a decade, the Central Electricity Authority said in the report Monday.
All non-fossil fuel sources will form 65 per cent of the total installed capacity and contribute around 48 per cent of gross electricity generation. The share of coal in overall capacity is likely to drop to a third from about 56 per cent now. Still, the polluting fuel will continue to produce half of the country’s electricity by 2030, compared with about 72 per cent now.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s climate target of having 40 per cent non-fossil fuel powered capacity by 2030 will be exceeded if the projections hold true. As per the current plan, the government aims to install 175 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2022. India had 80 gigawatts of renewable capacity as of May-end.
The recent cost trends of renewable energy generation sources have given them the footing to compete with conventional sources of electricity generation, according to the report.
The report, which is yet to be adopted by the government, identifies the intermittent nature of renewable generation as a limiting factor and advocates adoption of grid-scale battery storage. The reducing cost of batteries will help in faster roll out, it said.
The International Energy Agency had, in its World Energy Outlook last year, projected that India would overtake the US as the world’s second-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide from the power sector before 2030, as the nation’s electricity demand skyrockets.
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