India set to reach 900 Gw power capacity with renewables

According to the latest National Electricity Plan (NEP) by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), India is projected to reach a power generation capacity of 900 gigawatts (Gw) by the end of the decade. The majority of this capacity will come from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and large hydro. The CEA, which is the technical arm of the power ministry, prepares the NEP every five years to forecast the country's power generation, transmission, and demand trajectory for the upcoming decade. The latest NEP highlights a significant decrease in coal capacity addition and expects the renewable energy capacity to double from its current levels. Based on generation planning studies conducted for the period of 2027-32, the estimated installed capacity for 2031-32 is calculated to be 900.4 Gw. Conventional power capacity, including coal, gas, and nuclear, is expected to reach a total of 304 Gw, while renewable energy capacity, including large hydro, is projected to reach 596 Gw. Additionally, the CEA anticipates the emergence of several new energy sources by 2032, such as small hydro (5.4 Gw), biomass (15 Gw), pump storage power (26 Gw), and battery energy storage (47 Gw). The share of coal capacity is expected to decrease to 39 percent of the total installed capacity by 2026-27, down from 52.8 per cent in 2021-22. On the other hand, the share of non-fossil-based capacity is likely to increase to 57.4 percent by the end of 2026-27 and potentially rise further to 68.4 per cent by the end of 2031-32, compared to the current level of around 40 per cent, stated the NEP. India has committed to increasing the share of non-fossil fuel energy sources to 50 per cent by 2030 and aims to achieve a net-zero economy by 2070 as part of its nationally determined contributions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.