New Delhi: Electricity generated from coal and gas forms the base load as round-the-clock supply of renewable energy is not viable at present due to expensive storage, said Union Minister RK Singh on Friday. While addressing a seminar on National Bioenergy Programme, the Power Minister also said that coal and gas-based energy will be phased out soon. About phasing out coal, Singh suggested that it cannot happen at the cost of Rs 14 per KWh.
Commenting on the battery storage and solar power, the minister said, "Battery storage cost is Rs 10 per KWh. Solar power requires storage of Rs 2.30 KWh. You cannot have round-the-clock (renewable energy) without storage. You need some base load and that (base load at present) will come from coal, gas etc."
"India has set an ambitious target of having 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030. For this, India has already installed 107 GW of renewable energy capacity and it touches 153 GW with inclusion of 47 GW of large hydro power plants," Singh said. He also added that around 70 GW of renewable energy generation capacity is under construction. "Adding capacity of biomass is more difficult than that of solar and wind and that it is a challenge for all of us," said Singh.
During the seminar, all the stakeholders discussed and deliberated on the challenges, opportunities and initiatives in the bioenergy sector. Singh also unveiled a compendium of the National Bioenergy Programme and launched the Biogas and Bio-Urja Portal.
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