India aims to install 450 GW of renewables by 2030: president

India is targeting 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030 and has provided 1.7 million solar pumps to farmers, President Ram Nath Kovind has announced. India had achieved 86 GW of renewable capacity by the end of last year. Kovind also said the country is shifting to a gas-based economy, with liquefied petroleum gas coverage increasing from 55% to 97%.

India has embarked on an ambitious target of having 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030 to capitalise on its clean resources, President Ram Nath Kovind said

India has embarked on an ambitious target of having 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030 and also provide 17 lakh solar pumps to farmers under Pradhan Mantri-Kusum Yojana in the coming days to capitalise on this clean resource, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Friday. The country is already working on the target of having 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022 which includes 100 GW of solar and 60 GW of wind energy.

As of December 2019, 86 GW of renewable energy capacity has already been achieved. This includes 34 GW of solar and 38 GW of wind energy. Besides, around 36 GW of clean energy is under installation and about 35 GW is underbidding stage.

Addressing a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, Kovind said that “keeping environment conservation in mind, my Government has enhanced the target for producing renewable energy to 450 gigawatts (GW). Under the Pradhan Mantri-Kusum Yojana, it has been targeted to provide more than 17 lakh solar pumps to farmers across the country.”

He noted that under the second phase of the solar rooftop programme, the target is to generate 38 GW of electricity.

In September last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced doubling India’s non-fossil fuel target to 450 GW at Climate Action Summit at UN headquarters.

Kovind also told the members that after the International Solar Alliance (ISA), India has been at the forefront of a global partnership. The ISA was set up under the aegis of India. It was created to provide a dedicated platform for cooperation among solar resource-rich countries. As many as 85 countries have signed the ISA framework agreement. A total of 64 nations have ratified it.

The president also said that India is playing an effective role globally in the field of clean energy and due to the efforts of the Centre, the country is moving towards a gas-based economy. “Due to the efforts of the government, LPG coverage in the country has increased from 55 percent to about 97 percent. Now we are moving towards a gas-based economy,” he said.