How can India Green the Grid to Achieve Clean Energy Transformation in Power Sector

Clean energy transformation means shifting energy production away from sources that release a lot of greenhouse gases such as fossil fuels, to those that release low Greenhouse Gases. The climate change conference COP26 at Glasgow also focused majorly on moving away from fossil fuels. India being the third-largest consumer of primary energy in the world has committed to transcend in the clean energy transition. At COP26, our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi presented on behalf of India the ‘Panchamrit’ (5 points) action plan to be Net-Zero. The commitment by India to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 and fulfil half of its electricity needs with renewable energy sources by 2030 is a watershed moment in the global fight against climate change. India is pioneering a new economic development strategy that could sidestep the carbon-intensive paths taken by many countries in the past — and serve as a model for other developing economies.

The first goal is to develop 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030, for which India’s Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has done an energy mix projection for 2030. The other goal is to reduce carbon intensity by 45 percent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. Between 2005 and 2016, India reduced its GDP emission intensity by 25%, and it is on track to reach a reduction of more than 40% by 2030.

Finally, by 2070, India must attain net-zero emissions (a balance between emissions produced and emissions offset). While these are lofty but achievable goals with a major deployment of sustainable energy technologies and infra such as renewables, electric vehicles, and energy efficient buildings. To fully utilise harvested solar energy, a powerful network of storage batteries is required. As a result, costs must decrease, and the trend over the last five years evidently shows that this will occur within the next three to five years.

However, one issue with solar energy is the vast amount of land that is necessary. Large-scale solar and wind energy projects will necessitate the presence of vast land masses. India’s latest non-fossil fuel energy commitment has yet to be calculated in terms of land requirements. According to a recent analysis titled ‘Renewable energy and land use in India by mid-century,’ India will need 50,000-75,000 square kilometres of land for solar, and 15,000-20,000 square kilometres for wind energy farms to attain a net zero aim by 2070. As a result, robust land acquisition and a shift in government land use policy are required. It is vital to guarantee that there is no excessive geographical concentration of renewable energy sources while doing so.

Moreover, the transmission lines set up for renewable energy in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat are resulting in high mortality of the already critically endangered Great Indian Bustard due to collision with power lines that fall in their flying path. It is, therefore, imperative to look at the land selection process from an ecological angle, too.

There are several technologies and innovations in energy conservation that are emerging across the globe in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal of Affordable and Clean Energy. Some innovations and technologies that can help India in achieving its clean energy target are:

1. Energy Storage: Combining renewable energy with energy storage to balance power supply and demand could be a game changer for ensuring energy availability throughout the year. Being technologically smart by adopting Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) technology to store energy can be beneficial for smoother output.

2. Pumped Hydro Storage: Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) is a type of hydroelectric energy storage. It is a configuration of two water reservoirs at different elevations that can generate power as water moves down from one to the other (discharge), passing through a turbine. The system also requires power as it pumps water back into the upper reservoir (recharge). PSH acts similarly to a giant battery because it can store power and then release it when needed.

3. Smart Microgrids: By concentrating energy production and distribution, smart microgrids can assist in saving energy while also providing energy independence, efficiency, and protection during power outages.

4. Energy Systems Enabled by Blockchain, IoT, and AI: Blockchain is a distributed ledger that records all transactions done across a peer-to-peer network. This technology is impervious to contamination and has found applications in a variety of industries, including the energy sector. The use of blockchain in conjunction with the Internet of Things (IoT) can have a big impact on energy systems, since it can aid in the sale and purchase of power as well as the efficient operation of power plants.

5. Waste Heat Recovery: This is a ‘heat integration’ technique that involves repurposing heat energy that would otherwise be discarded or released into the atmosphere. Plants can cut energy expenditures and CO2 emissions while increasing energy efficiency by recovering waste heat.

6. Air-generated electricity: This works by absorbing water vapor from the atmosphere, which interacts with protein nanowires to generate an electrical current. Smart watches and mobile phones are currently using this technology successfully; wall paint that powers your home is also in the works. With such technology, it is possible to eliminate the need for billions of batteries to be manufactured and charged.

7. Using Green/Renewable Energy: Using renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind, hydro, tidal, heat exchange, and bioenergy, we can generate energy without emitting harmful greenhouse gases or other pollutants.

8. Modern technologies are playing a major role in improving demand & generation predictions from wind and solar. Machine learning and artificial intelligence to be adopted by utility and power system companies for smart and modernized grid. Installation of longer wind turbine rotor blades to harness more wind and convert it into electricity is being implemented under the repowering policy by GOI.

Energy transportation and storage are major challenges in the supply chain because the states producing solar and wind energy in India do not have demand estimates for the full production. The Indian government should consider speeding the building of green corridors for the evacuation of excess power generated for these objectives. Given the expected increase in power consumption over the next decade and the rapid deployment of solar and wind projects, India’s transmission and distribution infrastructure will need to be expanded significantly. Governments must also incentivise setting up of rooftop solar projects at industry and institutions. Also, institutions with large buildings, including the ones belonging to the government, need to be encouraged to get into leasing agreements with companies looking at setting up solar projects. The Green Tariff can also be a revolutionary movement for transition to clean energy.

Through the assistance of power companies, the government should look at investing into R&D for creating various models of low-cost smart grids. While all three parts of the power sector—generation, transmission, and distribution—are critical, the distribution sector must be established as the value chain’s strongest link. Consistent operational and financial failures in distribution have resulted in repeated bailouts of the whole sector by the central government. The investment required to expand India’s infrastructure to a world-class level and to address the country’s infrastructure deficit are massive, and they cannot be addressed solely by the public sector due to fiscal restrictions and mounting government liabilities. This would necessitate the private sector’s engagement in the development of public infrastructure facilities in collaboration with the public sector. In this regard, the country’s economic reforms have created a policy environment conducive to public-private partnerships (PPPs) in infrastructure development. Sector-specific policies have been implemented on occasion to improve PPP in infrastructure development. While the PPP model is gaining traction around the world to develop basic infrastructure, despite multiple rounds of legislative reforms, India’s private sector participation in infrastructure development has been disappointing.

Renewable energy has immense potential owing to its demand in the recent years. It is constantly improving the efficiency with technological advancements and investments by the Government. Government is constantly promoting the usage of solar panels for energy consumption. Besides, the Government is also focusing on expanding the investments in Railways. This will be one of the major growth drivers as they plan to electrify the railway tracks at 100%. One needs to keep a watch on major investments for developments in railways.

The future of the power and renewable energy sector certainly seems bright by the advancements and efforts being taken to improve quality and efficiency. Though innovative advancements have been proposed, there is a lot of scope for more.

- Raghavendra Mirji, Senior Vice President & Head – Power Infrastructure & Renewable Energy (PIRE), Godrej Electricals & Electronics