India predicts 450GW of Renewable capacity by 2030
R K Singh is confident that renewable energy capacity in India would reach 450 GW in 2030. If the target is achieved – the role of energy storage will be exceedingly important.
Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister, R K Singh has radiated confidence that renewable energy capacity in India would reach 450 GW in 2030, with an additional capacity of 60 GW of hydropower.
At the United Nations Climate Action Summit in September last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared that India will be raising its renewable energy targets to 450 GW by 2030 from 175 GW by 2022.
On Tuesday, speaking at an online event, R K Singh stated that India will have about 60 percent of its power generating capacity from clean energy sources like solar and wind – by 2030.
R K Singh at TERI’s Webinar
While speaking at a webinar organized by The Energy Resource Institute (TERI) Singh said, “I would say that by 2030, 60 percent of our capacity will be from renewables, and that is on a conservative scale.”
Enlightening further, the minister informed that by 2030, India will have 450 GW of installed power generation capacity from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. In addition to this, 60 GW will come from hydroelectric power.
While throwing light on the progress made in clean energy deployment across the country; Singh stated that at present India’s clean energy capacity – including under development projects and hydroelectric power – is around 190 GW that exceeds the targeted 175 GW by 2022.
At the webinar, the minister launched a report titled ‘Renewable Power Pathways: Modelling the Integration of Wind and Solar in India by 2030’. The minister also launched a report titled ‘Bending the Curve: 2025 forecasts for Electricity Demand by Sector and State in Light of COVID Epidemic’.
Both the reports have been prepared by the Energy Transition Commission (ETC) India, a research platform based at TERI headquarters in New Delhi.
Targets Achievement Possibilities
Industry experts agree it is difficult to raise India’s total renewable capacity by 2022 from about 86 GW to 175 GW. Especially in today’s scenario in which the global conditions are getting tough – on account of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Experts, by contrast, also feel that in recent times India has experienced too much inconsistency and change in policy, as well as conflicts between the state and the center, plus dragging on national policy objective contradictions.
Nevertheless, India’s pace of its renewable energy capacity increases over the last decade was unprecedented and shocking for the world.
The 450 GW renewable energy goal by 2030 though ambitious but achievable, will thus be subjected to the government’s policy stability, transparency, and consistency.
However, if clean energy is to contribute to the majority of India’s energy mix, the role of energy storage will be exceedingly important since renewables like solar and wind are not a predictable source of power.
