India’s struggle to keep up with surging electricity demand during the intense summer months highlights an intriguing paradox: while the country’s renewable energy capacity has expanded rapidly, it still faces challenges in fully utilizing this clean power. Despite a substantial growth in solar energy capabilities, grid limitations and storage issues prevent the optimal use of these resources.
According to research from energy think tank Ember, India has curtailed nearly 11 terawatt-hours of solar generation in the past 15 months. This amount of unused solar power could supply electricity to approximately 10 million homes. The curtailment occurred even as extreme heat and poor monsoon rains increased the demand for electricity, particularly for cooling and agricultural water pumping.
As the world’s most populous nation and a major emitter of greenhouse gases, India is committed to integrating more renewable energy, especially solar, into its power generation mix. However, the country’s ability to harness this clean energy is hampered by inadequate transmission and storage infrastructure, as well as the technical difficulties associated with balancing fossil fuel and renewable power sources.
Challenges in Utilizing Clean Energy
India’s renewable energy capacity has surpassed 300 gigawatts, more than half of its total installed power capacity. Yet, coal remains the primary source of electricity. The main issue is curtailment, where renewable energy producers are required to reduce output because the grid cannot accommodate the influx of power.
Energy analyst Neshwin Rodrigues from Ember mentions, “We’re in a stage where some of the biggest hurdles in renewables are starting to hit us.” The inflexibility of coal plants, which cannot easily reduce output during peak solar generation in the afternoon, exacerbates this issue. Vinay Pabba, CEO of Vibrant Energy, likens making thermal power plants adaptable to dancing elephants, indicating the complexity of the task.
Western India’s high concentration of renewable installations, especially in Gujarat and Rajasthan, leads to transmission line congestion. “When solar peaks, usually in the afternoon, there is a limited pipe to evacuate it,” explains Pabba.
Solutions for a More Flexible Power System
To address these challenges, experts suggest expanding transmission lines and enhancing storage capabilities. Vibhuti Garg from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis warns that without sufficient storage, India might continue to rely on coal plants even when cheaper renewable options are available.
Building new transmission lines is a lengthy process, often taking at least three years, while solar or wind farms can be completed in two. Research by Ember indicates that India has only achieved about 80% of its annual transmission construction targets over the past five years.
Disha Agarwal of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water suggests that spreading renewable developments across different regions and increasing smaller local solar projects could alleviate pressure on transmission corridors and balance the electricity supply throughout the day.
Batteries: A Critical Component
A recent study by the India Energy and Climate Center at the University of California, Berkeley, highlights the potential of battery-backed renewable energy to provide reliable electricity at lower costs compared to new coal-fired plants. Batteries enable the storage of solar power generated in the afternoon for use when demand spikes after sunset.
Despite the promise, India’s storage sector remains underdeveloped. Ankit Mittal, CEO of Ingro Energy, emphasizes the necessity of solving storage issues to prevent further curtailment. The government projects a need for about 74 gigawatts of storage by 2032, a significant increase from the current 3 gigawatts of battery storage capacity.
Avinash Rao, CEO of Mahindra Susten, cautions that without high-quality energy storage projects, India risks adding operational challenges to its grid and slowing its energy transition goals. Rodrigues points out that batteries can be deployed faster than major transmission infrastructure, offering a quicker solution to some constraints.
Stakeholders acknowledge that the rapid increase in energy demand, driven by electrification in transportation and other sectors, was unexpected. “None of us saw it coming. If we had seen it coming, we would have probably planned our way around it,” admits Pabba from Vibrant Energy.
Original Story at mynews13.com