India plans 250GW of renewable capacity in five years

Market: Coal, Electricity, Emissions
06/04/23

India plans to add 250GW of renewable energy capacity in the next five years to achieve 500GW of installed renewable capacity by 2030, in a move that could aid its transition away from fossil fuels like coal.

The government has invited bids for 50 GW/yr of renewable energy capacity from the April 2023-March 2024 fiscal year until 2027-28, considering that a renewable energy project takes around 18-24 months for commissioning, the renewable energy ministry said on 5 April. India's power ministry is already working on upgrading and adding transmission system capacity for evacuating 500GW of electricity from non-fossil fuels.

"The structured bidding trajectory will provide sufficient time to the RE [renewable energy] developers to plan their finances, develop their business plans and manage the supply chain more efficiently," power and renewable energy minister RK Singh said.

These annual bids for inter-state transmission-connected renewable energy capacity will also include the setting up of wind power capacity of at least 10 GW/yr. State-controlled Solar Energy Corporation of India and utilities NTPC, NHPC and SJVN will call for the bids as state-appointed renewable energy implementing agencies (REIAs), the renewable energy ministry said.

India currently relies heavily on coal for power generation. Coal typically accounts for more than 70pc of India's actual power generation as it is considered to be an affordable source of energy. Renewables currently account for just around 10pc of India's power generation.

The 50GW/yr targeted bid capacity for 2023-24 will be allocated among the four REIAs. The REIAs will be permitted to bring out bids for solar, wind and solar-wind hybrid energy capacity, all with or without storage, based on their assessment of the renewable energy market or according to directions from the government.

India had a renewable energy capacity of 168.96GW as of 28 February, with about 82GW at various stages of implementation and about 41GW in the tender stage, the renewable energy ministry said, adding that it includes 64.38GW solar power, 51.79GW hydropower, 42.02GW of wind power and 10.77GW of bio power.

The renewable energy ministry also announced a quarterly bidding plan for 2023-24, for at least 15GW of renewable energy capacity each during April-June and July-September, followed by 10GW each during October-December and January-March 2024.

These capacity additions will be over and above renewable energy capacities that come under the government's rooftop solar scheme, which subsidises rooftop solar installations, and the PM-Kusum programme that aims to promote solar farming among Indian farmers.

The government in its budget for 2023-24 promised support of 83bn rupees ($1.01bn) out of a total investment of Rs207bn for an inter-state transmission system for evacuation and grid integration of 13GW of renewable energy from Ladakh, where NTPC's renewable subsidiary NTPC REL plans to set up country's first green hydrogen mobility project. Delhi has allocated a total of Rs350bn for its 2070 net zero goal in the budget, covering areas like hydrogen, renewables and green mobility.

By Rituparna Ghosh

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London, 28 March (Argus) — UK parliament's cross-party environmental audit committee (EAC) has begun an inquiry into whether the country's airport capacity expansion could be achieved in line with its climate and environment targets. "The aviation sector is a major contributor to the UK's carbon emissions, and on the face of it, any expansion in the sector will make net zero even more elusive," EAC chair Toby Perkins said. Any expansions must meet strict climate and environment commitments, the UK government has said. The government in January expressed support for a third runway at London's Heathrow airport — the country's largest. UK transport minister Heidi Alexander said in February that she was "minded to approve" an expansion at London's Gatwick airport, ahead of a final decision in October. The expansion would involve Gatwick making its northern runway operational. It is currently only used as a back-up option. The government is also "contemplating decisions on airport expansion projects at London Luton… and on the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield," Perkins said. "It is possible — but very difficult — for the airport expansion programme to be consistent with environmental goals," Perkins said. "We look forward to exploring how the government believes this can be achieved." The UK has a legally-binding target of net zero emissions by 2050. Its carbon budgets — a cap on emissions over a certain period — are also legally binding. The government must this year set levels for the UK's seventh carbon budget , which will cover the period 2038-42. The committee has invited written submissions on the possible airport expansions and net zero, with a deadline of 24 April. It will report in the autumn. By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Singapore, Vietnam eye greater low-carbon power trade

Singapore, 28 March (Argus) — Singapore and Vietnam have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to enhance collaboration on cross-border electricity trade for the Asean power grid. Under the LOI, the countries will explore raising the targeted capacity of low-carbon electricity imports from Vietnam to Singapore to around 2GW by 2035, announced Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry on 26 March. This builds on the previous conditional approval that was granted by Singapore's Energy Market Authority to Sembcorp Utilities in October 2023 to import 1.2GW of low-carbon electricity from Vietnam. The electricity will be transmitted from Vietnam to Singapore via new sub-sea cables of around 1,000km. The Vietnam and Singapore governments will continue to engage interested companies that have credible and commercially viable proposals, said MTI. "This LOI reflects our enhanced level of ambition to support not just cross-border electricity trading between our two countries, but the broader development of a sustainable, inclusive and resilient Asean power grid," said Singapore's second minister for trade and industry Tan See Leng. Singapore aims to import up to 6GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035 , and has signed supply agreements with Malaysia , as well as granted conditional approvals to projects in Indonesia. There have been steps toward the development of the long-awaited Asean power grid, which once established, could help the region source and share electricity regionally. The Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore power integration project (LTMS-PIP) will be enhanced under its second phase to double the capacity of electricity traded from 100MW to a maximum of 200MW, the EMA announced in September last year. By Prethika Nair Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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27/03/25

Oil, biofuel groups meet to align on RFS policy

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US mulls cutting funds to H2 hubs outside of GOP states

27/03/25

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27/03/25

US mulls cutting funds to H2 hubs outside of GOP states

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ARCHES chief executive Angelina Galiteva said the California hub "remains committed to working with our partners to establish a secure, reliable and competitive hydrogen ecosystem". Spokespeople for the others hubs vulnerable to losing federal funds did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, at least one of the hubs put out a public statement highlighting how its goals align with the administration's objectives. "Many of these opportunities will support rural communities" and "advance American energy independence", the Pacific Northwest hub said in a social media post. Environmental advocates argue that the climate benefits from hydrogen originating from natural gas with CCS, the technology proposed for projects on the "keep" list, evaporate when net emissions are taken into account and do not justify the potentially billions of dollars in federal support they may receive when compared to other decarbonization techniques. "Spending billions of dollars on untested carbon capture technology in applications with no net-climate benefit is a waste of taxpayer money," said Anika Juhn, IEEFA energy data analyst and co-author of the report Blue Hydrogen's Carbon Capture Boondogle . "Building out renewable power infrastructure, improving energy efficiency, and reducing methane leakage from the natural gas system are more cost-effective and proven approaches to a clean energy transition." For now, both fossil-fuel based and renewable energy companies have been lobbying the Trump administration to keep clean energy incentives enacted by the IRA without differentiating how the hydrogen is produced. The potential cut to federal funding is not expected to affect industry support for the most lucrative incentives that come in the form of tax cuts, such as the support that has coalesced around protecting the 45V hydrogen production credit, said Wolak. "I don't see any change to the agenda of 45V, that effort is primary," said Wolak. "I see an effort perhaps arising to define the hubs and the merit of the hubs rising parallel to the 45V effort." FCHEA is advising its members that may be affected by hub funding cuts to contact their congressional representatives, Wolak said. By Jasmina Kelemen Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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