India’s installed renewable energy capacity has accelerated over the past few years. India has shown a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 17.33% during the period 2016-2020. As India strives to meet its energy needs self-sufficiently, which is expected to reach 15820 TWH in the year 2040, renewable energy is fully equipped and ready to play an important role. The government wants to take this renewable energy capacity up to 5 lakh 23 thousand megawatts.
Government of India wants to reach the target of 2 lakh 27 thousand MW of renewable energy by 2022, of which 1 lakh 14 thousand MW of electricity will be based on solar energy and 67000 MW of electricity will be based on wind energy to increase the use of renewable energy in the Paris Climate Agreement. 1 lakh 75 thousand MW will be more than what is suggested to be done. The government wants to take this renewable energy capacity to 5 lakh 23 thousand megawatts, including 73,000 megawatts of hydropower. The government plans to achieve this target by 2030.
Installed renewable energy generation capacity has grown at a rapid pace over the past few years
India’s renewable energy capacity as of July, 2021 was 96 thousand 960 MW, representing 25.2% of India’s installed energy capacity, providing opportunities for expansion of green data centers. Installed renewable energy generation capacity has grown at a rapid pace over the past few years, showing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2016 and 2021. In the year 2021, India’s renewable energy generation capacity reached 94,400 MW!
What targets has India set for renewable energy?
It is expected that renewable energy sources will help meet 40% of India’s electricity demand by the year 2030.
India receives 300 days of sunlight throughout the year and has high hydroelectricity generation potential.
India has the world’s fourth largest installed capacity of wind energy and third largest installed capacity of solar energy.
The Government of India has set a target of 225,000 MW of electricity from renewable energy by 2022, which is higher than the target of 175,000 MW set in the Paris Climate Agreement. The world’s largest solar park ‘Shakit Sthala’ was established in March 2018 with an investment of 165 billion rupees ($255 crore). India has small hydropower plants (SHP), which have a capacity of generating 21 thousand 134 MW of electricity.
As of 31st October, 2019, the contribution of wind energy based electrical energy is 45.5%, the contribution of rooftop solar energy is 36% and the ability to obtain biomass based electrical energy is 12.5%.
The contribution of wind energy to the total electricity generated in India is 36390 MW (10%), solar energy is 31100 MW (9%) and small hydro power plants are 4610 MW.
What does the Global Wind Energy Report, Year 2021 reveal?
The Global Wind Energy Report 2021 was published on March 25, 2021 by the ‘Global Wind Energy Council’ (GWEC). 2020 was a record-breaking year for the wind energy industry globally, but the report warns that there is a need to install new wind power capacity three times faster over the next decade to meet global climate targets and to combat today’s rising average global temperatures. It can be kept within 2 degrees Celsius of what it was before the industrial revolution.
What does the Paris Climate Agreement state?
Nowadays carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide gases are accumulating in the lower atmosphere of the earth due to the burning of fossil fuels. Due to this, the phenomenon of increasing the average temperature of the earth (global warming) has arisen. After the Stockholm Conference of 1972, in discussions, the countries of the world decided to lower the current temperature by 2 degrees Celsius compared to the temperature that was there when the industrial revolution started. It was stated to keep the surplus within limits. There was also a consensus that greenhouse gas emissions are being accumulated due to fossil fuel based energy production. Evidence of rapidly accumulating carbon emissions in the atmosphere was obtained on May 9, 1958, when scientist Charles David Kelling obtained measurements at the Loa Observatory in Maui, Hawaii. At that time, the amount of carbon dioxide particles accumulating in the lower atmosphere reached the level of 400 PPM (parts per million) for the first time in human history. Even if all the recommendations made in the Paris climate agreement are fully followed, the lower atmosphere can still accumulate up to 8 lakh megatons of carbon dioxide! As a result, countries that are struggling to improve their economies (including India), collectively have room to release only 250,000 megatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere!
