Describe the potential of renewable sources of energy in India also describe the wind energy production.
Answers
India is one of the countries with the largest production of energy from renewable sources. In the electricity sector, renewable energy (excluding large hydro) accounted for 20% of the total installed power capacity (71.325 GW) as of 30 June 2018.[1] Large hydro installed capacity was 45.29 GW as of 31 March 2018, contributing to 13% of the total power capacity.[2] Unlike most countries, India does not count large hydro power while accounting for renewable energy targets as it comes under the older Ministry of Power instead of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Thus, renewable energy including large scale hydro-power currently adds up to more than 33% of the total installed power capacity in India.
Wind power capacity was 34,046 MW as of 31 March 2018, making India the fourth-largest wind power producer in the world. The country has a strong manufacturing base in wind power with 20 manufactures of 53 different wind turbine models of international quality up to 3 MW in size with exports to Europe the USA and other countries.[3]
The government target of installing 20 GW of solar power by 2022 was achieved four year ahead of schedule in January 2018, through both solar parks as well as roof-top solar panels.[3] India has set a new target of achieving 100 GW of solar power by 2022. Four of the top seven largest solar parks worldwide are in India including the second largest solar park in the world at Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, with a capacity of 1000 MW. The world's largest solar power plant, Bhadla Solar Park is being constructed in Rajasthan with a capacity of 2255 MW and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.
Biomass power from biomass combustion, biomass gasification and bagasse co-generation reached 8.3 GW installed capacity as of 31 March 2018.[2] Family type biogas plants reached 3.98 million .[3]
Renewable energy in India comes under the purview of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). India was the first country in the world to set up a ministry of non-conventional energy resources, in the early 1980s. Solar Energy Corporation of India is responsible for the development of solar energy industry in India. Hydroelectricity is administered separately by the Ministry of Power and not included in MNRE targets.
India is running one of the largest and most ambitious renewable capacity expansion programs in the world. Newer renewable electricity sources are projected to grow massively by nearer term 2022 targets, including a more than doubling of India's large wind power capacity and an almost 15 fold increase in solar power from April 2016 levels. Such ambitious targets would place India among the world leaders in renewable energy use and place India at the centre of its "Sunshine Countries" International Solar Alliance project promoting the growth and development of solar power internationally to over 120 countries. India set a target of achieving 40% of its total electricity generation from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030, as stated in its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions statement in the Paris Agreement.[4][5] A blueprint draft published by Central Electricity Authority projects that 57% of the total electricity capacity will be from renewable sources by 2027.[6] In the 2027 forecasts, India aims to have a renewable energy installed capacity of 275 GW, in addition to 72 GW of hydro-energy, 15 GW of nuclear energy and nearly 100 GW from “other zero emission” sources.[6]