By Business India Editorial

As part of its global climate change commitments, India is running what will become the world’s largest clean energy programme of achieving 175 GW of clean energy capacity by 2022.

The government is going all out to achieve renewable energy (RE) capacity of 150 gigawatts (GW) by 2 October, according to reports. By Gandhi Jayanti, 2.2 GW will be commissioned and by the end of October, 2.32 GW will be opened. 

The initiative comes in the run up to the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference, COP-26, which will begin in Glasgow on 31 October.

India’s installed renewable energy capacity is 147.05 GW, including hydropower projects of 46.37 GW. The country has installed solar and wind energy capacity of 100.68 GW.

“Projects have been identified for achieving this 150 GW renewable energy capacity by 2 October. Also, suggestions have been sought from developers for projects that can be commissioned by 2 October and 31,” said an official on condition of anonymity.

The world’s third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, after the US and China, India plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 33-35 per cent of its 2005 levels by 2030, as part of its commitment to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted by 195 countries in Paris in 2015.

The country has also committed to have 40 per cent of its total installed power generation capacity from renewables by 2030. India has reached 38.5 per cent of its installed power capacity from non-fossil fuels and this will go up to 66 per cent by 2030, according to the government. The country has also reduced its emissions by 28 per cent.

Meanwhile, Union power and new and renewable energy minister Raj Kumar Singh has said India’s demand for electricity is growing, which, he says, points to a healthy growth of the economy. India’s electricity demand was 124 billion units in August, compared to 106 billion units recorded in the corresponding month of 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic led to a drastic reduction in power demand. India’s peak electricity demand reached an all-time high of 200.57 GW on 7 July, reflecting the revival of economic activity.