Renewable Energy In India

As per various studies undertaken in past, a potential of about 89,000 MW for power generation from different renewable energy sources is estimated excluding solar energy which has been estimated for most parts of the country at around 20 MW per square kilometer of open, shadow free area covered with solar collectors.

A total grid interactive renewable power generation capacity of around 18842 MW has been set up as on 31.01.2011, which is over 11% of the total power generation installed capacity from all sources in the country.

The initial capital investment in renewable energy projects is generally high and their viability is very much region / site specific. As such, the cost of renewable power generation is generally higher in comparison with the traditional sources.A capacity addition of 12,300 MW grid-interactive renewable power (comprising 9000 MW wind power, 1400 Small Hydro power, 1700 MW Biomass power, 80 MW Urban/ Industrial Waste-to-power and 50 MW Solar power) is targeted during the 11th Plan period based on Mid Term Appraisal. Against this target, around 5,282 MW capacity (comprising 3,797 MW wind power, 547 MW Small Hydro power, 917. MW Biomass power, 20 MW Urban/ Industrial Waste-to-power and 1 MW Solar power) has been set up during the plan period upto 31.10.2009.

Based on various studies and surveys, a potential of around 90,000 MW eq for power generation from different renewable energy sources (excluding solar) in the country has been estimated which include 48,561 MW from wind, 14,294 MW from small hydro and 26,367 MW from bio-power. The potential for solar energy is estimated for most parts of the country at around 20 MW per square kilometer of open, shadow free area covered with solar collectors.

DEVELOPMENT OF HYDROGEN FUEL

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing a broad based research, development and demonstration programme on hydrogen production, its storage and utilization as an alternative fuel for transport and decentralized power generation applications. The programme is being implemented through various academic and research organizations; laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research; and public and private sector industry. As a result of these efforts, laboratory scale prototypes of hydrogen operated motorcycles, three-wheelers, small generators, catalytic combustion cookers and some fuel cell based systems have been developed and demonstrated.

A development cum demonstration project for use of hydrogen (up to 30% by volume) in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as fuel for automotive vehicles is under implementation through the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, New Delhi; R&D Centre of the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), Faridabad and five automobile manufacturers. In addition, IOCL has set up two hydrogen production and dispensing stations, one each at Faridabad in Haryana and at Dwarka in New Delhi. These stations are presently being used for providing hydrogen blended CNG fuel for some demonstration and test vehicles.

POWER FROM WASTE :

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is promoting setting up of projects on Energy Recovery from Urban and Industrial Wastes including garbage. The technologies being presently used are bio methanation and combustion followed by biogas engines or steam turbines for power generation.

The cost of power generation from urban and industrial wastes is about Rs.2.50 to Rs.4.00 per unit of electricity depending upon the type of wastes and the technology deployed. These costs are competitive with cost of power generated from conventional sources.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is supporting setting up of Waste-to-Energy projects under the programmes on municipal solid waste, other urban wastes and industrial wastes. The programmes provide for central financial assistance for setting up of Waste-to-Energy projects and other promotional measures such as capacity building and awareness creation. However, non-availability of source-segregated garbage is the main constraint in development of projects on power generation from municipal solid wastes. A total of 36 projects with an aggregate capacity of 83.13 MW power from urban and industrial wastes have so far been set up in the country.

FIRST PHASE OF SOLAR MISSION

Government has recently approved Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission to develop solar energy technologies to make solar power competitive to conventional grid power. It aims at creating capacity of 20,000 MW grid solar power and 2,000 MW of off-grid solar power including 20 million solar lights by 2022. In addition, it aims at installation of 20 million square metre solar thermal collector area by 2022. The Mission will be implemented in three phases. Government has approved the target, for the first phase of the Mission, to set up 1,100 MW grid connected solar plants, including 100 MW capacity plants as rooftop and small solar plants. In addition, 200 MW capacity equivalent off-grid solar applications and 7 million square metre solar thermal collector area are also proposed in the first phase of the Mission, till 2012-13. Mission will also support research and capacity building activities in solar energy. An amount of Rs. 4,337 crores has been approved for the first phase of the Mission

TIDAL ENERGY

A study was undertaken for the assessment of tidal energy potential in the country. According to the study, there is an estimated potential of tidal energy of the order of 8000 MW in the country. This includes about 7000 MW in the Gulf of Cambay and 1200 MW in the Gulf of Kutch in the State of Gujarat and about 100 MW in the Gangetic Delta in the Sunderbans region in the State of West Bengal.

The Ministry sanctioned a demonstration project for setting up 3.75 MW capacity tidal energy power plant at the Durgaduani Creek in Sunderbans region to West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA), Kolkatta. The project is being executed by NHPC Ltd.

The State Government of Gujarat formed a Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) with public private partnership and sponsored a study for large scale exploitation of tidal energy across the coastline of Gujarat. One MoU for commissioning of 50 MW Tidal Power Project has been signed by M/s. Atlantis Resource Corporation (U.K.) and Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd., Govt. of Gujarat.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy considers providing financial incentives upto 50% of the cost to the State Government implementing Agencies for the development of tidal energy projects on cost sharing basis as technology demonstration projects in accordance with its R&D policy guidelines.

The country’s wind power potential has been estimated be 48,000 MW. A total of 10,904 MW wind power capacity has been installed in the country so far. Government has been promoting commercial grid connected wind power projects through private sector investment in wind potential states by providing fiscal incentives, loan from Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) and other financial institutions. Technical support, including detailed wind resource assessment to identify further potential sites, is provided by Centre for Wind Energy Technology (C-WET), Chennai. This apart, preferential tariff is being provided to increase wind energy investment in the potential States. Recently, Government has approved a Generation Based Incentive for wind power projects to run concurrently with the benefit of accelerated depreciation but in a mutually exclusive manner during the 11th Plan.