INDIA NEEDS NEW ENERGY

India and the new Energy Revolution; There is an urgent need for New Delhi to draw up its own renewable energy strategy
Shyam Saran (former India foreign secretary and special envoy), June 8, 2010 (India Business Standard)

"The world is on the threshold of a transformational energy revolution…The cumulative impact of these as-yet-incipient developments will result in very different structures of production and consumption as well as lifestyle…

"The history of energy use is a history of burning carbon… [A] decisive shift towards non-carbon-based renewable and cleaner sources of energy is [now happening]… driven by the rapid depletion of finite fossil fuel resources and mounting concern over climate change…There have also been exciting advances in renewable energy-related technologies which have the potential of rivalling and eventually surpassing conventional power…Despite the current economic crisis, lines are being drawn across the world for the next race towards economic and technological predominance. And this race will be centred on energy. Its impact will be as transformational as the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) revolution. Energy, like ICT, is a force multiplier since it impacts the entire spectrum of economic activities."

India has big plans for sun...(click to enlarge)

"There are several sources of renewable and clean energy which are at the centre of strategies adopted by governments and corporates…These include solar energy, wind power, bio-fuels, wave energy, hydrogen fuel cells and, of course, nuclear energy…[There] is the unmistakable shift towards making them the mainstay of economic activity…[Solar energy] is the primary source of all energy and is infinitely renewable and inexhaustible. The constraints on its scaled-up use are the diurnal and seasonal variability of sunlight, the space intensity of its use and the lack of convenient and cost-effective storage. These constraints are the focus of intense R&D efforts…

"Wind power is being developed rapidly…[P]romising R&D work is being carried out in countries which have strong [bio-fuels] capabilities in bio-technology and bio-chemistry. In India, an interesting project involves the cultivation of seaweeds in off-shore rafts to yield bio-fuels…Nuclear energy is a fully tested technology but potential capacity is limited by the availability of uranium…India is one of the few countries which have an advanced fast-breeder reactor programme…Another promising recent advance is in the miniaturisation and portability of nuclear plants. The US and Russia have the lead here but India has the capability to join their ranks…"

...and lots of wind. (click to enlarge)

"Despite the promise of these new energy technologies, significant gains in the foreseeable future will have to come from increased energy efficiency. Energy service companies are now a big and growing business…[as is] applying ICT to conventional power systems to create “smart grids”. These have reduced power consumption costs by at least 30-50 per cent…Concerns over climate change are adding a compelling salience to this trend of enhancing energy efficiency and promoting renewable and clean energy…

"It is against this background that there is an urgent need for India to draw up its own renewable energy strategy. We must not be left behind in this new energy revolution. A number of countries, including the US, China and Germany, are investing significant human and material resources to developing renewable energy. China…aims to increase its renewable energy portfolio from 9 per cent currently to 15 per cent by 2020. The European Union’s target is 20 per cent. Nevertheless, all major economies are still at the starting point…What is now required [in India] is a comprehensive strategy to weave these different components together in a synergetic manner and position India as a lead country in the unfolding energy revolution…"