India has achieved its NDC target with total non-fossil based installed energy capacity of 157.32 GW which is 40.1% of the total installed electricity capacity

What is the News?

The Ministry of Renewable Energy has taken several initiatives in the Renewable Energy Sector.

India’s Renewable Energy Target at COP21

At COP 21, as part of its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), India had committed to achieving 40% of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil energy sources by 2030. The country has already achieved this target in November 2021 itself.

Currently, the total non-fossil based installed energy capacity is 40.1% of the total installed electricity capacity. Among them, solar has currently the highest contribution followed by Large Hydro Power, Wind, Bio-power, Nuclear Energy and Small Hydro Power.

Investment in Renewables

India’s renewable energy programme is driven by private sector investments.

FDI: India’s renewable energy industry received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $7.27 billion from 2014-15 till June 2021.

The credit for the hike in FDI goes to a liberal foreign investment policy that allows the foreign investors to enter into joint ventures with an Indian partner for financial and/or technical collaboration and for setting up renewable energy-based power generation projects. Moreover, up to 100%, FDI is allowed under the automatic route for renewable energy generation and distribution projects.

Major Programmes and Schemes:

PM KUSUM Scheme

PLI Scheme for High-Efficiency Solar PV (Photovoltaic) Modules

Solar Park Scheme

Rooftop Solar programme 

Wind Energy:  India has the 4th largest wind power capacity in the world.The wind energy sector is led by the indigenous wind power industry.

Offshore Wind Energy Policy

Atal Jyoti Yojana: The scheme aims for the installation of solar street lights with a 25% fund contribution from MPLAD Funds. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is implementing the scheme.

New National Biogas and Organic Manure Programme(NNBOMP): It aims to promote the use of biogas produced from cattle manure and other organic wastes available in rural areas.

Scheme to support Promotion of Biomass-based cogeneration in sugar mills and other industries: The scheme aims to support Biomass based Cogeneration Projects in Sugar mills and Other Industries for power generation in the country. 

Programme on Energy from Urban, Industrial and Agricultural Wastes/ Residues: It aims to promote setting up of waste-to-energy plants to recover energy in the form of Biogas or BioCNG or Power from Urban, Industrial and Agricultural Waste / Residues for meeting certain niche energy demands of urban, industrial and commercial sectors in the country. 

Hydrogen Mission

One Sun – One World – One Grid (OSOWOG)

International Solar Alliance

What are the issues and challenges in the Renewable Energy Sector?

1. Mobilization of the necessary finance and investment on competitive terms, 2. Land acquisition, 3. Creating an innovation and manufacturing ecosystem in the country, 4. Integrating a larger share of renewables with the grid, 5. Enabling supply of firm and dispatchable power from renewables, 6. Enabling penetration of renewables in the so-called hard to decarbonize sectors.

Source: This post is based on the article ‘India has achieved its NDC target with total non-fossil based installed energy capacity of 157.32 GW which is 40.1% of the total installed electricity capacity’ published in PIB on 28th Dec 2021.