India bets on “green” deserts to boost solar energy

Beyond some loud chewing camels, an oasis of blue solar panels sprawls out of sight. Bhadla Park in the Thar Desert is a mainstay in India’s bid to become a clean energy powerhouse.

Currently, coal powers 70% of the gigantic country’s electricity generation, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged that, by 2030, the energy produced by renewables will exceed current total production.

“First, India will increase its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gigawatts … Second, by 2030, 50% of our energy needs will come from renewable sources,” Modi said at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

The arid northwestern state of Rajasthan, home to this San Marino-sized park, has 325 days of sunshine a year, perfect for launching this revolution.

Formerly desert, the authorities have capitalized on a sparsely populated area in a way that allows for minimal displacement of local communities. Robots clean dust and sand from around 10 million solar panels, with just a few hundred people monitoring operations.

But this commitment to a green future also arises from necessity.

With 1,300 million inhabitants and with such growth that it will soon surpass China, India’s energy needs are increasing, as well as its exposure to climate change and the very high pollution of its cities.

In the next two decades, it must add to its energy network a capacity equivalent to that of the whole of Europe to satisfy its population, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

“India is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change and that is why it has this push for renewables that decarbonise the sector and reduce local air pollution,” explained to AFP Arunabha Ghosh, climate policy expert for the Council of Energy, Environment and Water.

But before COP26, experts point out that India, the world’s third largest emitter, is far from achieving its green goals, and a government official acknowledged that coal will continue to be “an important source of energy for decades to come.”

The cheapest solar plants

Although India’s green power has increased fivefold in a decade to 100 gigawatts this year, the sector has yet to quadruple this capacity to meet the 2030 targets.

“I think this is more of an aspirational goal … to show the world that we are moving in the right direction and we want to do the right thing,” said Vinay Rustagi, CEO of the Bridge renewable energy consultancy in India.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think there is a way to achieve this goal,” he said.

Optimists point to the Bhadla solar park, one of the largest in the world, as an example of how innovation, technology and public-private financing can drive change.

“There are wide tracts of land where there is not a speck of grass. Now you no longer see the ground, only the solar panels. It’s a huge transformation, ”Subodh Agarwal of the Rajasthan energy secretariat told AFP.

The authorities encourage renewable firms to establish themselves in the region, known as the “desert state.” According to AGarwal, the demand “accelerated” since 2019.

“It is going to be a different Rajasthan. It will be the solar state “, foresees for the next decade.

If this momentum continues, the energy generated by coal could reach its peak in 2024, according to the projections of the Institute of Economics and Financial Analysis of Energy (IEEFA).

Currently, solar energy only generates 4% of electricity. The IEA estimates that solar and coal production will converge by 30% by 2040 with current policies.

Indian billionaires, including the two richest men in Asia (Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani), are making significant investments.

Time and money

But completely transforming a power grid takes time and money, analysts warn.

80% of solar panels are still imported from China, the world’s largest producer.

Gyanesh Chaudhary, CEO of Indian panel maker Vikram Solar, argued that there should already be “more than 30” local firms like his.

“This is the type of demand and ecosystem that India is going to need basically (…) This should have happened before,” he insisted.

Experts argue that the low cost of the Chinese panels, poor funding and inconsistent previous policies decimated local growth. In addition, the network infrastructure must also be updated.

“We don’t have any storage networks (…) and many of these plants are located far away from the production sites, so you should think about connecting them,” said Apurba Mitra, head of climate policy in India at World Resources Institute.

Modi, who pledged in Glasgow to achieve carbon neutrality by 2070, made clear that emissions cuts from India and other developing countries require funding from rich countries.

“India expects developed countries to provide $ 1 trillion climate finance as soon as possible. It is necessary that, just as we follow the progress made in climate mitigation, we also follow climate finance, “he told more than 120 leaders at the summit.

transform lives

Some experts argue that the system should be decentralized.

Amit Singh’s family’s 12,000-square-meter estate in Bhaloji village, Rajasthan, was running out of water and experiencing numerous blackouts.

“I always looked at the sun and its rays and asked myself: why not use it to generate electricity?” This farmer and doctor told AFP.

Singh first installed panels on the roof of his small hospital that generated half the electricity he needed. He then invested the family savings in a government-linked one-megawatt project on his farm.

The small solar park cost 35 million rupees ($ 450,000) and Singh sells electricity to the national grid for 400,000 rupees a month ($ 5,150).

“It is the last source of energy that will otherwise be wasted (…) I feel that I contribute to the development needs of my people,” he added.

For Arunabha Ghosh it is vital to reduce costs so that ordinary people can better use this technology for their needs.

“When a farmer can generate power from his solar plant next to his farm and pump water, when a person can run a textile unit using solar energy on his roof, then we are able to bring the energy transition closer to the people.” explained this climate expert.

Pratibha Pai, founder and director of the Chirag Rural Development Foundation that brought solar energy to more than 100,000 locals, believes in the transformative role of green energy.

“We started with solar energy, but we ended up with safe drinking water, electricity for dark streets and small houses, for small rural schools that hopefully will write the history of a great India,” he said. (I)