Draft power plan sees rise in solar targets
New Delhi, September 15
With India’s electricity consumption largely remaining reliant on coal-based generation, the draft electricity plan sees a “significant increase in solar and decrease in 2030 coal capacity”, according to energy experts.
Target for wind cut
- Solar energy targets for 2026-27 see significant increase compared to NEP 2018 from 150GW to 186GW, a rise of 24%
- According to NEP 2018, installed wind capacity target for 2027 was 100GW. The draft NEP2022 decreases target to 80GW for wind
The draft plan by advisory body Central Electricity Authority shows that coal’s share in power generation combination will decrease to 50 per cent by 2030 compared to the current 70 per cent.
The contribution from coal to the power mix is expected to fall from 70 per cent today to 59 per cent by 2026-27 and 50 per cent by 2031-32.
However, apart from the under-construction coal-based capacity of 25GW, the additional coal-based capacity required till 2031-32 may vary from 17 GW to around 28 GW. In other words, India may need additional 28GW coal-fired power generation capacity by 2032 apart from the 25GW thermal projects under construction, evoking mixed response from some experts.
The draft National Electricity Plan (NEP) sees a significant increase in installed solar power capacity by 2027, 2030 and a downward revision of installed coal capacity when compared to CEA’s Optimal Generation Capacity Mix report released in 2020. The revisions exceed commitments made by PM Modi at COP26, Glasgow, last year.
As per Madhura Joshi from E3G, “The projected non-fossil fuel capacity for 2027 alone is expected to be about 58 per cent and around 68 per cent by 2032, which is higher than India’s recently updated NDC targets for 2030 and even exceeds Modi’s announcement made at COP26.”
