India’s Clean Power Revolution Report | UPSC
HEADLINES:
India’s coal power fleets under-utilised, says report, amid auctions
WHY IN NEWS:
Performance of coal power fleets declined by 21 per cent from 78 per cent in 2010 — a historical low
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Natural resources
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS remember the report title and the publisher . Significance of this report is important . It shows steady decline of the black gold !
For MAINS this is the report which will help you while addressing issues related to coal vs renewable energy. Let us dive in !
ISSUE:
INDIA’S CLEAN POWER REVOLUTION REPORT
TITLE
India’s Clean Power Revolution report.
PUBLISHED BY
BloombergNEF.
- BloombergNEF is a leading provider of primary research on clean energy, advanced transport, digital industry, innovative materials, and commodities
- It forecasts that frame the financial, economic and policy implications of industry-transforming trends and technologies.
REPORT ANALYSIS
- As the Union government prepares to auction 41 coal blocks across India, data from a report has shown the country’s coal power fleets to be under-utilised.
UTLISIATION RATES OF COAL POWER PLANTS
Source: BloombergNEF, Central Electricity Authority.
- ARBITRARY USAGE : Coal power plants managed by the Centre were utilised more than those owned by state governments and private players.
- OVER ESTIMATED DEMAND : The Centre had over-estimated the growth of the countrywide power demand, leading to over-investment in new coal capacity.
RENEWABLE ENERGY VS COAL
- CHALLENGES : New onshore wind and new solar combined with battery storage will out-compete new coal power plants on a levelised basis by 2023 and 2029 respectively.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- Financers across the world have been withdrawing their investments in coal.
- Renewables in India as well have been outperforming coal.
- If the mines are auctioned this year, production will commence in 2023 or 2024.
There is, however, uncertainty over how much potential coal will have in the country five years down the line
SOURCES:DownToEarth| India’s Clean Power Revolution Report | UPSC
DISCOVER MORE : Important Reports and Analysis for UPSC Prelims 2020
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis & Answer writing video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.