Kumar Gaurav |
India, the second-largest producer of coal and consumer of coal in the world, announced at Glasgow that its transition to clean energy portfolio to about 50% till 2030 and then further to achieve net-zero. The net-zero pledge mandates the country to transition to a clean energy dominant portfolio. An important sign of the ongoing energy transition is the first-ever mention of the phase-down of coal in a global climate agreement. States like Jharkhand will suffer the most during the transition to Net Zero by 2070 and the eventual phase-down of coal because the state’s economy and social structure are both heavily dependent on mining and related activities.
Jharkhand tops the chart with about one-fourth of India’s total coal reserve. Nearly 15 million people depend directly or indirectly on employment and income. In Jharkhand, the electricity generation is about 90 % from coal. Renewable energy systems excluding hydro have a contribution have less than 5 % of installed capacity (CEA Report, June 2022). Recently launched Jharkhand State Solar Policy 2022 has set an ambitious target of cumulative capacity of 4000 MW in the state by 2027. Interestingly, the main challenge to coal power plant is uninterrupted, low-cost renewable/clean energy. The installed cost and tariff of utility-scale solar photovoltaic plants in India have fallen by 85% since 2010 (IRENA 2021). While the advance in clean/renewable energy technology will continue to challenge the coal-based power plant, the humongous energy demand thrown by expanding economy, population, urbanization, and industrialization will keep coal-based power generation crucial.
Advances in design/technology for low-cost coal power generation with low emissions and technological advances in coal mining will also keep coal a major player for a slightly longer time. Thermal power plant companies would continue to adopt changes and be relevant to the country’s energy security. Industries are also moving toward adopting clean/renewable energy sources like solar or green hydrogen to pace up with the future. Offering everyone access to a consistent supply of affordable, clean energy presents complicated and important technical, social, political, economic, legal, and ethical challenges that must all be addressed, frequently in tandem, to enable sustainable growth and development.
Jharkhand, having profound reliance on coal, tryst with carbon neutrality and energy security will face multiple economic challenges as a larger social structure is woven around mining and associated activities. A planned transition toward clean energy would be key to Jharkhand’s energy security. While the technical advancement along with the affordability of clean/renewable energy will continue to challenge the coal-based power plant, the humongous energy demand thrown by expanding economy, population, urbanization, and industrialization will keep the coal-based power generation crucial to India’s energy security. One of the big energy transition challenges is social, requiring us to overcome political, economic, behavioral, cultural, and territorial barriers.
Reference:
- Ministry of Coal (GoI): https://coal.gov.in/en/major-statistics/coal-reserves
- CEA Report, June 2022: ALL INDIA INSTALLED CAPACITY (IN MW) OF POWER STATIONS (As on 30.06.2022): https://cea.nic.in/installed-capacity-report/?lang=en
- IRENA (2021), Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2020, International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi. ISBN 978-92-9260-348-9