Knowledge Nugget | India achieves 300 GW Renewable Energy capacity: What it means for country’s climate goals

2. The 300.50 GW non-fossil fuel capacity (as on July 31, 2026) includes solar power, wind power, hydro power, bio-power and Nuclear Power.

3. Notably, solar power has emerged as the primary driver of India’s clean energy transition . India’s installed solar capacity has risen to 164.59 GW, compared with just 2.8 GW in 2014. The increase has made solar the largest component of the country’s non-fossil power capacity.

4. Wind power has also expanded significantly. Installed wind capacity has reached 58.14 GW, up from 21 GW in 2014.

5. Presently, hydropower accounts for 57.24 GW of capacity, while bio-power contributes 11.75 GW. Nuclear power accounts for another 8.78 GW. Together, all these sources have taken India’s non-fossil installed capacity beyond the 300 GW mark.

6. The latest milestone has been supported by several parallel developments: rapid solar capacity expansion, growing wind generation capacity, record annual additions, increased renewable electricity generation and the expansion of domestic manufacturing.

What are India’s climate targets for the year 2035?

7. Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, every country is obligated to decide upon, and implement, a set of climate actions that help the global fight against climate change. These are referred to as nationally-determined contributions, or NDCs— emphasising the fact that countries themselves decide the nature and scale of climate actions.

8. On March 25 this year, India revealed its revised NDCs for 2035. Each of the new targets marks a progression over existing commitments for 2030, a mandatory requirement under the Paris Agreement. 

9. India said it would ensure that at least 60% of its electricity installed capacity in 2035 was based on non-fossil fuel sources, up from the 50% target it had set for 2030.

10. It has promised to attain at least a 47% reduction in emissions intensity, or emissions per unit of GDP, on 2005 levels, which is two percentage points more than its current target of 45% for 2030. 

India’s NDCs on climate.

11. It has also promised to create a carbon sink that is at least 3.5 to 4 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent larger than what existed in 2005.

What is Greenhouse gas emission intensity?

1. Recently, the Central Government issued a draft notification to set greenhouse gas emission intensity (GEI) targets for the intensive iron and steel sector and to align them under India’s carbon credit trading scheme (CCTS). 

2. GEI is the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted per unit of product output, such as the quantum of gases released while producing cement. 

3. GHGs are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to the “greenhouse effect” that raises surface temperature on Earth. The five most abundant GHGs in the atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Other GHGs include synthetic fluorinated gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).

4. The introduction of industry-specific targets is crucial to meet India’s climate goals. The ultimate objective is to push industries towards a low-carbon growth trajectory through reduction, removal or avoidance of GHG emissions.

BEYOND THE NUGGET: Challenge of Renewable Energy Storage

1. As India rapidly scales up its renewable energy capacity to meet its climate goals, a key challenge is emerging for its power system — electricity supply that is abundant in some hours but insufficient in others. The mismatch between when electricity is generated and when it is needed presents a big challenge. This is where deploying systems that “store” energy becomes critical — and where India has fallen short so far.

2. Notably, energy storage refers to systems that can store excess renewable electricity during periods of high generation and discharge it when demand rises but power generation remains low. At its core, energy storage systems convert electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind, when it is available, into forms that can be stored. Later, it converts these back into electricity when need arises.

3. A range of energy storage technologies are being deployed globally. Here are the some key energy storage technologies: 

(i) Pumped hydro storage (PHS): It uses surplus electricity to pump water from a lower reservoir to a higher one. When electricity demand peaks, it releases the stored water downhill through turbines to generate power.

(ii) Battery energy storage systems (BESS): This technology stores electricity chemically and discharges it when needed. Lithium-ion batteries, particularly lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, are currently the dominant technology for grid-scale storage because of their falling costs, high efficiency and long operational life.

(iii) Concentrating solar-thermal storage systems: This technology uses mirrors that capture and focus sunlight onto a receiver. As the receiver gets heated, materials such as molten salt are circulated inside the receiver to store the heat. The stored heat can later be used to produce steam. This steam is converted into mechanical energy in a turbine, which powers a generator to produce electricity.

(iv) Compressed-air energy storage systems: It use excess electricity to compress air and store it in underground caverns or tanks. When power demand rises, the compressed air is released to drive turbines and generate electricity.

(v) Flywheel energy storage systems: It stores electricity as rotational energy by spinning a rotor at extremely high speeds. Because they can inject power into the grid almost instantly, they are particularly useful for maintaining grid stability and managing short-term fluctuations.

(vi) Gravity energy storage systems: It uses electricity to lift heavy weights to higher elevations. When electricity is needed, the weights are lowered, converting gravitational energy back into electricity through generators.

Post Read Question

With reference to the India and its climate targets for 2035, consider the following statements:

1. At least 60% of its electricity installed capacity in 2035 should be based on non-fossil fuel sources.

2. To attain at least a 47% reduction in emissions intensity, or emissions per unit of GDP, on 2005 levels.

3. To create a carbon sink that is at least 3.5 to 4 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Answer Key

(c)

(Sources: Centre issues fresh draft emission cut targets for iron and steel sector, India’s new climate targets are modest, but significant. Here’s why, India is rapidly scaling up renewable energy. Now it needs to store it)

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