India has an installed renewable energy base of about 20 GW, which is around 11 per cent of the country's total power capacity and accounts for 4 per cent of the electricity mix, Minister of New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah has said at a forum in Abu Dhabi.At a high-level consultative forum in Abu Dhabi, Abdullah said India today stands among the top five countries of the world in terms of its renewable energy capacity.
He also noted that India recently launched a unique and ambitious National Solar Mission, which seeks to facilitate the generation of 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022.The Abu Dhabi forum was aimed at providing an opportunity for Ministers of Energy from Africa to engage with experts from regional economic commissions, national entities and international partners.
"In the last decade alone, our installed capacity in renewable energy has risen from about 3 per cent of the total installed capacity to over 11 per cent currently. Our aim is to take it to over 20 per cent in the next decade with a capacity of over 70,000 MW," Abdullah told the two-day International Renewable Energy Agency ( IRENA)-Africa High Level Consultative Forum on Accelerating Renewable Energy Uptake for Africa's Sustainable Development.According to him, India is working on a National Biomass Mission, which will help tap bioenergy potential of over 25,000 MW.
The minister further said that the latest initiative is to examine the possibilities of having dedicated energy plantations from fast growing species of bamboo and other tree species and using them for producing power in small 1-2 MW plants feeding into the distribution grid.
Speaking on the challenges ahead, the minister said the current international economic and political situation continues to be unfavorable, particularly for developing countries.The challenges of democracy and development include assuring food and energy security, devising ways and means to uplift the lives of people in a manner that preserves the sustainability of our common air, land and water and providing clean and basic electricity.
"But these challenges can be overcome through partnership, sharing and cooperation," he said.The meeting discussed specific implementation challenges facing Africa with respect to renewable energy technologies as well as practical approaches to generate the critical policy and technical information, advice and capacity that is required to support the extensive deployment of renewable energy in Africa.
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