From the Editor’s Desk

India has been one of the global advocates for adopting renewable energy as part of its energy transition goals. It has been a pivotal year for renewable energy (RE) generation in India, with other energy sources to meet the surging power demand of the country. The country’s efforts towards expanding its renewable energy capacity have given promising results. India stands 4th in Renewable Energy installed capacity globally and renewable energy significantly contributed to India's power generation mix.

With the country’s energy consumption increasing at an unprecedented rate, it is vital to leverage both conventional and renewable energy sources to meet demands sustainably. The energy sector players will be heavily reliant on optimizing traditional sources of energy like coal for years to come, however, a renewed focus on enhancing the production of renewable energy has come into play. It has been realized across the board that energy sources like solar, wind, hydro, and biomass can offer clean, affordable, and reliable electricity for the growing population and economy of the nation.

The country is committed to escalating the use of clean energy sources and is promoting several large-scale sustainable power and green energy projects. Among the key projects the government has undertaken, green hydrogen projects will be crucial in providing a carbon-free alternative to fossil fuels. By electrolyzing water through solar or wind power, it is possible to harness renewable resources. Hydrogen fuel cells will likely power sectors, including transportation, industry, and residential electricity generation.

Embarking on a journey towards a sustainable future and ensuring seamless integration of renewable energy in the country’s power matrix, a few challenges need to be overcome. The primary challenge is competing with thermal power in the country, with coal ruling the energy mix. It is, however, needless to say, that the government is taking an array of steps to promote renewable energy and constantly spread awareness about the effects of Co2 emissions from thermal power hindering the growth of the solar power sector is the imposition of safeguard duty on solar cells/modules. This has led to increased project costs for many manufacturers in the solar sector. Meanwhile, the power grid infrastructure in India needs an immediate revamp. It presently offers poor power quality, and discourages the integration of distributed energy sources. The government's focus is to strengthen the grid infrastructure by introducing innovative technologies, and replacing traditional meters with smart meters. India aims to replace 30GW of thermal power generation capacity with renewable energy by 2026, a move to reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants. The government is making remarkable efforts leaving no stone unturned to meet the target. From permitting (FDI) up to 100% under the automatic route to waiving of Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) charges for inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects, the initiatives are continuous. Adding another feather to their cap, the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy recently launched a joint national mission to quickly identify emerging technologies in the power sector and develop them indigenously. Renewable energy will certainly be an intrinsic part of the long-term trajectory of the power ecosystem. Hence fresh capacity addition from thermal generation is unlikely to be planned by the Centre We believe that India is ahead in the race to attain its energy transition target and is all geared up to achieve its net zero pledge way before its set deadline.

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