Why India cannot ignore coal anytime soon
Coal is projected to continue as the backbone of the Indian energy system until the next two decades and its phase-down will require active policies on critical minerals, according to a report by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM)- Ahmedabad.
The report asserted that net zero is not possible without substantial nuclear power and renewable energy generation by 2070.
The report, titled 'Synchronising energy transitions towards a possible Net Zero for India: Affordable and Clean Energy for All,' was released on Wednesday.
The report was launched by Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA), to the Government of India in the presence of dignitaries Dr V K Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog; Dr A. K. Mohanty, Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC); and other senior officials.
To achieve net-zero energy systems by 2070, the report mentioned that the electricity sector will need to decarbonise well before that.
«There is no silver bullet to achieve net-zero. The transition needs multiple pathways to be adopted with the co-existence of myriad technologies in our energy basket. Coal is projected to continue until the next two decades as the backbone of the Indian energy system,» it said.
The report said India's emissions would range between 0.56 btCO2 (billion-tonne of carbon dioxide) and 1.0 btCO2 in 2070.
«It is expected that the remaining gap in emissions will be offset through sequestration in forestry and tree cover as envisaged in our Nationally
