Karnataka, an early mover in India’s clear power journey, stays a number one funding vacation spot for renewable energy initiatives. With its enabling coverage interventions, the state has not solely been profitable in implementing giant utility-scale photo voltaic and wind initiatives however has additionally witnessed big uptake of renewables within the business and industrial (C&I) house. State companies at the moment are centered on selling hybrids, round the clock (RTC) renewables and inexperienced hydrogen initiatives. In opposition to this backdrop, Ok.P. Rudrappaiah, managing director, Karnataka Renewable Power Improvement Restricted (KREDL), mentioned the state’s achievements, initiatives and future plans within the renewable power improvement house…
With greater than 16 GW of put in renewable energy capability, what are Karnataka’s future renewable energy targets? What are the latest key achievements of the state?
Karnataka has at all times been a entrance runner within the improvement of renewable power, with favourable insurance policies driving the expansion of renewable power initiatives within the state. It was the primary among the many southern states to inform the renewable power coverage aimed toward fostering organised progress of unpolluted power throughout the state. In keeping with the Ministry of Energy’s (MoP) Inexperienced Power Open Entry Laws, 2022, Karnataka was the primary state to difficulty its inexperienced open entry rules. The present open entry rules prioritise inexperienced power open entry over regular open entry purposes. The Karnataka authorities has developed a holistic “Karnataka Renewable Power Coverage 2022-27” programme, with the target of attaining power safety primarily from renewable power sources. With this, we purpose to include one other 10 GW of renewable power throughout the subsequent 5 years. KREDL continuously collaborates with key stakeholders within the renewable power sector to nurture and nourish the state’s clear power ecosystem.
Since Karnataka has already achieved its RPO percentages, what are the highest precedence areas for the state now?
Karnataka is without doubt one of the few states that has surpassed its 2022 renewable power targets (14.82 GW), with put in capability reaching 21.4 GW as of August 31, 2023. Out of this, 3.6 GW relies on hydropower and the remaining 17.8 GW is from photo voltaic, wind and different renewable power sources.
The Indian authorities lately up to date its Nationally Decided Contributions by committing to attain 50 per cent put in capability from renewables by 2030, a vital step in the direction of local weather change on the nationwide degree. Nevertheless, Karnataka has already achieved a 60 per cent renewable power share in its put in capability, which is a big accomplishment for the state and signifies a powerful give attention to decreasing carbon emissions and transitioning in the direction of cleaner power. Karnataka electrical energy provide corporations have urged state companies to plan renewable power capability additions with a view to meet renewable buy obligation (RPO) targets. Corporations like Energy Firm of Karnataka Restricted and KREDL play a pivotal function in aggregating such renewable power capability and facilitating its improvement within the state.
What are the important thing steps being taken to advertise distributed renewables, together with photo voltaic and bioenergy, within the state?
A multi-faceted proactive method is being taokayen to advertise renewables within the state, that are:
- GW-scale renewable power parks: Karnataka’s improvement of GW-scale renewable energy parks beneath the Extremely Mega Renewable Power Energy Parks (UMREPP) scheme is a big step in harnessing renewable energy sources. This consists of developing a 500 MW photo voltaic park in Bidar district and 5 GW of hybrid renewable power parks throughout eight districts beneath the public-private partnership (PPP) mannequin.
- Promotion of PSPs: The Karnataka authorities is making ready pointers for growing 3,000 MW of pumped storage challenge (PSP) capability – with 2,000 MW of PSPs to be developed by the state genco, Karnataka Energy Corporation Restricted, and a further 1,000 MW of PSPs beneath the PPP mannequin.
- Inexperienced hydrogen: Karnataka’s dedication to develop a inexperienced hydrogen coverage consistent with the nationwide hydrogen policy is important. Inexperienced hydrogen will play a vital function in decarbonising varied sectors, together with business and transportation. A requirement aggregation exercise to award as much as 1 million tonnes every year of inexperienced ammonia manufacturing facility is beneath means.
- Waste-to-energy challenge: The implementation of an 11.5 MW waste-to-energy challenge at Bidadi, Ramanagar, demonstrates Karnataka’s give attention to utilising waste as a useful resource and producing clean power. This addresses waste administration points and contributes to renewable power era.
These initiatives mirror the state’s dedication to a sustainable, clear power future, aligning with India’s broader objectives of attaining a big share of renewable power in its power combine and decreasing carbon emissions.
With extra C&I shoppers choosing renewables and RTC energy, what steps have been taken by the state to handle the challenges associated to open entry initiatives?
Karnataka has taken proactive steps to encourage the event of photo voltaic initiatives by C&I entities by adopting the MoP’s Inexperienced Open Entry Guidelines, 2022. This may enable shoppers with a linked load of 1 MW and above to simply procure renewable power. Karnataka’s choice to undertake these guidelines, extending open entry to shoppers with a linked load of 100 kW and above, demonstrates the state’s dedication to selling renewable power adoption throughout varied scales. The state additionally practices the well timed promulgation of rules and tariff orders associated to enabling open entry, offering readability for C&I shoppers. The present renewable power coverage additionally advocates for the event of hybrid renewable power initiatives with battery power storage programs to facilitate RTC energy. The state has formulated a conducive and clear coverage framework, and it’s as much as the C&I shoppers to grab this chance.
There have been varied MoUs signed for large-scale inexperienced hydrogen initiatives within the state. What’s your tackle the home demand and export potential of inexperienced hydrogen that can be produced via these initiatives?
Throughout latest investor summits, Karnataka attracted Rs 2.3 trillion price of investments within the areas of renewable power, green hydrogen and ammonia. This reflects investor confidence in Karnataka’s potential as a hub for sustainable power initiatives.
The important thing elements driving funding within the state are its competitiveness and economical value of inexperienced energy, entry to water sources, proximity to worldwide ports, presence of electrolyser producers, and a well-established renewable power challenge improvement ecosystem. These parts create a conducive atmosphere for growing inexperienced hydrogen and ammonia initiatives.
The state is within the strategy of growing a inexperienced hydrogen coverage, which is able to element its ambitions on this area.
What’s your total perspective on India’s renewable power journey and the place is the sector headed?
India’s place because the third-largest electrical energy producer on this planet, with an put in capability of 415 GW, and its fourth rank globally in renewable power put in capability spotlight the nation’s vital function within the international power panorama. India is dedicated to attaining 50 per cent of put in energy era capability from renewable power sources by 2030. It has additionally taken an vital step in the direction of local weather change by committing to scale back the emission intensity of its GDP by 45 per cent by 2030, relative to the 2005 degree. India’s dedication to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 and to satisfy 50 per cent of its electrical energy requirements from renewable power bitterces by 2030 is a big improvement within the international struggle towards local weather change.
India is doing its finest to decarbonise the ability sector. The central and state governments have applied insurance policies and programmes, and created a beneficial atmosphere to draw and ramp up renewable power investments within the nation. These initiatives embody the PM-KUSUM scheme, rooftop photo voltaic schemes, central PSU schemes, the UMREPP scheme for growing renewable power and photo voltaic parks, renewable power hybrid insurance policies, wind repowering insurance policies, production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes to reinforce domestic PV module and battery manufacturing capabilities, the Nationwide Inexperienced Hydrogen Mission, offshore wind insurance policies, introducing a inexperienced day-ahead market, and easing the phrases for open entry to obtain inexperienced power. State governments are additionally contributing to the hassle by formulating conducive insurance policies, making certain ease of doing enterprise for renewable power initiatives, offering waivers of interstate transmission system prices, and enjoyable wheeling prices and extra surcharges. These initiatives are essential enablers for expediting the uptake of renewables.
India additionally goals to attain self-reliance by investing within the manufacturing of renewable power elements. The PLI scheme is a big indicator of this effort. Thus, with essential levers established to foster accelerated investments in renewables, India will witness a long time of immense progress within the renewable power sector.
