New Delhi: Placing emphasis on energy security, Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy RK Singh said on Thursday that India will not hesitate to add new thermal power plants if need be. “My energy security is primary. And we will do whatever it takes. Our economy is growing at 7.2 percent. That is the fastest growth in any major economy. And we will continue to grow at the fastest rate. And this will not be possible unless there is enough electricity. It is my job to ensure that growth is powered. And it will be powered,” Singh told reporters during a media interaction.
Singh said that the global narrative has shifted from energy transition to energy security in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine which led to disruption in gas supplies. “Before the war in Ukraine, everyone was talking about energy transition. And we are a leader in energy transition despite the fact that our per capita carbon emission is the lowest in the world. Then suddenly the war in Ukraine happened, there were disruptions in gas supplies and everyone started talking about energy security. Then the developed world started saying that energy security is primary. We always believed that,” said Singh.
Terming India’s efforts towards energy transition exemplary, Singh said that India will continue to add renewable energy at a fast pace while also using coal to meet its energy requirements. “You (western nations) have gas or you import gas and use it to meet your energy needs. I have coal. So I will use that,” said the Power Minister.
He added that currently, around 51,000 MW of thermal power capacities are under construction.
Commenting on India’s plans to augment battery energy storage, Singh said, “Huge capacities of Pumped Hydro projects are coming up. At the same time, we need to build batteries for grid storage. We need to have another PLI scheme for grid-scale storage, so that we can augment capacity and have round-the-clock renewable energy. We will keep adding storage to ensure that demand goes up and investment keeps happening.”
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