Energetica India - June 2020

Challenges, Solutions, and Opportuni- ties’, along with capacity augmentation of the existing transmission system, more flexible transmission planning and improving the reliability of the network are required to facilitate India’s plans to provide an uninterrupted power supply. The tightening of grid performance pa- rameters is required, especially in the context of increasing renewable energy (RE) integration. Modernization of the grid is a key prerequisite for achieving renewable energy investment ambitions, according to a study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analy- sis (IEEFA). Need to Improve and Upgrade The country, which has set an ambitious target of 175GW of variable renewable energy by 2022, rising to 450GW by 2030, currently has an installed capacity of 86 GW (as of December 2019). The complexities of India’s grid mean that transmission will continue to be a major hurdle and slow the adoption of renew- able energy. It also raises the risk that variable renewable power may remain under-utilized and/or constrained in the absence of both grid discipline and a modern and upgraded transmission net- work. A well-designed, forward-looking grid with the ability to rapidly embrace evolv- ing technologies is the answer. It will ensure consistent low cost, deflationary renewable power uptake, and improve the viability of investments in renewable energy. To take the electricity dream for- ward and transform the country’s future, we must upgrade its grid for adequate capacity and reliability to ensure a high quality of power transmission. POWER SECTOR 50 energetica INDIA- June_2020