Scaling India’s renewables beyond 1,500 GW will entail multiple challenges: CEEW

Thursday, 12 September 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN

India has a renewable energy (RE) potential of over 24,000 GW, but even reaching the ~7,000 GW required to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 will require a holistic approach to addressing challenges like land access, climate risks, land conflicts and population density, according to an independent study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), entitled ‘Unlocking India’s RE and Green Hydrogen Potential: An Assessment of Land, Water, and Climate Nexus’. However, for India’s current installed RE capacity of 150 GW, and up to 1,500 GW, the constraints are relatively manageable. 

Renewable energy, including solar, wind and green hydrogen, is crucial to realise India’s climate goals, but scaling up these technologies will require strategic land use, improved water management and resilient power grid infrastructure. 

The study states that population density and land are major restrictors of India’s RE potential realisation. Earthquakes are less of a concern. Green hydrogen could also become very important for India’s clean energy transition. Low-cost green hydrogen could be produced in western and southern India, with Gujarat leading the production with an estimated potential of 8.8 MTPA at less than USD 3.5/kg, followed by Karnataka and Maharashtra with 5 MTPA each.CEEW fellow Hemant Mallya said, “Land and water are critical resources for scaling up RE and green hydrogen in India. Prevention of desertification and innovative solutions to address land availability, such as agro-voltaics in horticulture and rooftop solar in dense Indian cities, will be essential. Involving all stakeholders in the early stage of renewable project development and addressing climate risks will help ensure projects are commercially viable in the long run.”