In Short : India’s green energy capacity has experienced a remarkable surge, increasing by 138% from the fiscal year 2014 to the fiscal year 2023. This substantial growth highlights the country’s significant strides in adopting and expanding renewable energy sources during this period.
In Detail : In the past decade, India has witnessed significant progress in the field of green energy, with renewable power accounting for 43 percent of the overall installed power capacity in 2022-23. This marks a substantial increase from the 31 percent recorded in 2014-15, according to data from the Central Electricity Authority. The total installed capacity for renewable energy has surged to 180 gigawatts (GW) in 2023, compared to 75.5 GW in 2014. Notably, the proportion of fossil fuel-based power has declined from 69 percent in 2014-15 to 57 percent currently.
The government has established an ambitious goal to triple its renewable energy contribution, aiming to achieve 500 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. The strategy involves adding 50 GW of renewable energy capacity annually. Government entities such as the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), SJVN, and NHPC have been proactively issuing contracts for the expansion of solar, wind, and hydro capacities in recent months to contribute towards achieving this target.
The government is focusing on overcoming the sluggish progress in the expansion of transmission lines, recognizing that the effectiveness of installed renewable energy capacity depends on a robust distribution network. The interregional transmission capacity, added from 2017 to March 31, 2022, amounted to 37,200 megawatts (MW). According to data from the Central Electricity Authority’s annual report, as of March 2023, the inter-regional transmission capacity in the country had reached 112,250 MW.
In the fiscal year 2022-23, India’s cumulative transmission lines reached 471,341 circuit kilometers (ckm), a substantial increase from the 313,437 ckm recorded in 2014-15. For the ongoing financial year, the government aims to augment the transmission network by adding 16,602 ckm, surpassing the 14,625 ckm added in the previous fiscal year (FY23).
However, experts do believe that tripling RE capacity to 500 GW by 2030 is a stiff target. The peaking and subsequent phasing out of coal-fired power may get delayed. This is because of a sharper-than-expected rise in domestic demand for power, and the realization that renewable capacity addition could lag the tall targets. There are also concerns about the huge intermittency and variability of renewables-based generation. Efficient integration of the green capacities to the grid to meet the peak power demand is also a challenge.
Recognizing that achieving full operational capacity for renewable energy may extend beyond a decade, India has reasserted its commitment to utilizing fossil fuels to meet the increasing power needs of its population. In the recent National Electricity Plan, the country has outlined a vision to raise the proportion of non-fossil-based capacity to 57.4 percent by 2026-27 and further increase it to 68.4 percent by the conclusion of 2031-32, compared to the current level of around 42.5 percent.
