New Delhi, Dec 15 (KNN) India is expected to witness a decline in coal power capacity from 68 per cent in 2014 to 33 per cent by 2030, despite an increase of 80 GW in thermal power capacity, stated Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy R. K. Singh on Thursday.

Speaking on the Impact of Energy Efficiency Measures at the National Energy Conservation Awards 2023, the minister stated that India has emerged as a leader in energy transition.

He added, “We had said at COP21 in Paris that 40 per cent of our power capacity will be from non-fossil-fuel sources by the year 2030; we achieved this target in 2021. We had pledged that we will reduce our emissions intensity by 33 per cent by 2030, we achieved this in 2019.”

Reflecting on COP28, he identified tackling emissions as the crucial issue and noted, "India emits 2.1 tonne per capita, while developed nations emit 22 tonne per capita. What needs to be reduced is the emissions. It doesn't matter if the emissions are coming from coal or petroleum. We should talk about overall emissions."

The minister stated that the government's objective is to increase thermal capacity by 80 GW by 2030 to address the growing power demand.

Simultaneously, there are efforts to triple the renewable energy capacity to 500 GW within the same timeframe.

"It (coal-based power) will again be one of the largest reductions in terms of percentage capacity," Singh said.

Aligned with the drive to expand Renewable Energy (RE) capacity, the government is preparing to initiate a tender for 4,000 MW of gas-based power.

This development coincides with an increase in hydro power generation, currently undergoing construction at a capacity of 18 GW, with additional plans for 24,000 MW, aiming for a cumulative total of 42,000 MW by 2030.

(KNN Bureau)