NEW DELHI: The country will be required to increase its power capacity fourfold by 2047 to meet anticipated demand of 708 gigawatts, according to Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
Speaking at the two-day Brainstorming Session on the Indian Power Sector Scenario 2047, he emphasised the critical role of renewable energy in the country’s future energy mix.
“By 2047, we anticipate our power demand to reach 708 Gw. To meet this, we need to increase our capacity by four times, i.e. 2,100 gigawatts,” said the minister. “This is not just about increasing capacity; it’s about reimagining our entire energy landscape.”
The minister also highlighted the goal of achieving 500 Gw of non-fossil energy capacity by 2033, stating that this transition aligns with India’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030.
The power minister also launched the National Electricity Plan (Transmission), which outlines the necessary transmission infrastructure to support 500 Gw of renewable energy capacity by 2030, with an increase to over 600 Gw by 2032.
The plan includes innovative features such as the integration of 10 Gw of offshore wind farms, 47Gw of battery energy storage systems, and 30 Gw of pumped storage plants. It also addresses the power needs of green hydrogen and green ammonia manufacturing hubs and includes cross-border interconnections.
With a planned addition of 190,000 circuit kilometers of transmission lines and 1,270 gigavolt-amperes (GVA) of transformation capacity over the next decade, the plan represents an investment opportunity exceeding `9 lakh crore in the transmission sector.
‘Need PLI scheme for transmission equipment’
India should explore need for a production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for critical transmission equipment to improve its renewable energy transmission capacity, said Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal on Monday. Speaking on the sidelines of the inaugural session of the Brainstorming Conclave on the Indian Power Sector in New Delhi, he also mentioned that it will ease the strain on global supply chains and boost its renewable energy infrastructure.