India's Progress in Non-Fossil Fuel Energy Capacity

India has achieved a crucial climate milestone by exceeding its non-fossil fuel energy capacity target five years ahead of the schedule. As of June 30, non-fossil fuel sources constitute 50.1% of India's installed electricity capacity, surpassing its Paris Agreement target of 40% by 2030, which was later raised to 50% in 2022.

Key Statistics and Achievements

• Total installed capacity: 485 GW as of June.
• Non-fossil fuel capacity: 
  • Renewables (solar, wind, small hydro, biogas): 185 GW
  • Large hydro: 49 GW
  • Nuclear: 9 GW
• Thermal power: 242 GW or 49.9% of total capacity, a decrease from 70% in 2015.

Global Ranking and Challenges

• India ranks fourth globally in renewable installed capacity, following China, the US, and Brazil.
• Despite the installed capacity, thermal plants still produce over 70% of electricity due to the intermittent nature of renewable sources.
• Grid stability challenges are emphasized due to fluctuating demand and inadequate storage capacity. As of 2024, storage capacity is less than 5 GW.

Government Initiatives and Future Plans

• Central Electricity Authority (CEA) encourages co-locating energy storage systems with solar projects.
• Expansion of viability gap funding (VGF) for battery storage to 43 GWh with an outlay of Rs 5,400 crore.
• An expected addition of 51 GW in pumped hydro storage by 2032.

Challenges

• About 30 GW of older projects lack power purchase agreements (PPAs).
• Supply constraints on high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transformers cause grid access issues, potentially delaying new capacity additions.

Conclusion

India's significant progress in renewable energy capacity, driven by policy initiatives and market dynamics, marks a major shift towards sustainable energy. However, challenges remain in storage, grid stability, and transmission infrastructure, necessitating continued government intervention and strategic planning.