India is riding high on Renewable Energy as the capacity improves to 150.54 gigawatts in November 2021. The non-fossil installed capacity is now 6.78 gigawatts which will now make the country stride ahead.
This is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement at the recently concluded CoP26 and the commitment of the Government of India to achieve 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by the year 2030.
During the last 7.5 years, India has witnessed the fastest rate of growth in renewable energy capacity addition among all large economies, with renewable energy capacity (including large hydro) growing 1.97 times and solar energy expanding over 18 times.
Major Programmes and Schemes to achieve the target by 2030:
- Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) –
- Installation of 10,000 MW of Decentralized Grid Connected Solar Power Plants each of capacity up to 2 MW
- Setting up of 20 lakh standalone Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps
- Component C: Solarisation of 15 Lakh existing Grid-connected Agriculture Pumps
Wind-Solar PV Hybrid Projects
The wind-solar hybrid policy is being taken up to manage the grid and as that is required for optimal and efficient utilization of transmission infrastructure.
One Sun – One World – One Grid (OSOWOG)
A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the World Bank on September 8, 2020, for a study on the OSOWOG initiative. Currently, the implementation plan, road map and institutional framework are being developed. The study is expected to be completed in 2022.
New venture: Hydrogen Mission
The launch of the National Hydrogen Mission is to make India a global hub for Green Hydrogen production and export. The draft National Green Hydrogen Mission document is under inter-ministerial consultations.
The Mission proposes a framework for creating demand for Green Hydrogen in sectors such as petroleum refining and fertilizer production; support for indigenous manufacturing of critical technologies; Research & Development activities; and an enabling policy and regulatory framework. The proposed steps will lead to the development of additional renewable energy capacity for Green Hydrogen production.