India Can Save US$19.5 Billion Annually With Shift From Coal To Clean Power

A new analysis put together by Global Energy Monitor ( GEM) ranks India in the top seven countries globally in terms of prospective renewable energy power. India plans to add 76 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale solar and wind power by 2025, leading to savings of up to US$19.5 billion a year (INR 1,588 billion) and if India were to bring on line all of its planned utility-scale solar and wind projects it would cost roughly US$51 billion. But with a US$19.5 billion annual savings in direct fuel costs, India could pay for this in just two and a half years.

Data in the Global Solar Power Tracker and the Global Wind Power Tracker rank India in the top seven countries globally in terms of prospective renewable power. This buildout can avoid the use of almost 78 million tons of coal annually, or roughly 32 GW in coal power plant capacity, which is more new coal capacity than the country has added since 2018.

Annual savings in India can skyrocket if the coal to clean switch matches the country’s ambitions. India plans to add an additional 420 GW of wind and solar power by 2030, which would increase the annual savings from avoiding coal power to more than US$58 billion, with
total savings reaching US$368 billion by 2030.

If India were to bring on line all of its planned utility-scale solar and wind projects it would cost roughly US$51 billion. But with a US$19.5 billion annual savings in direct fuel costs, India could pay for this in just two and a half years. India accounts for five per cent of all prospective utility-scale solar power globally, trailing only China, the U.S. and Australia, while placing 17th globally in prospective wind power capacity.
Shradhey Prasad, Project Manager for the Global Wind Power Tracker, said, “Save money, slash emissions – India’s switch from coal to clean power is a win-win. A promising step towards meeting the country’s net zero emissions target by 2070, India will be richer and cleaner by quitting coal. Costs for solar and wind power continue to plummet, and compared to volatile fossil fuel prices, renewables present a far better option for building new energy infrastructure.”

The top ten countries with the most prospective renewable power are:

1. China (387,258 MW)
2. Australia (220,957 MW)
3. Brazil (217,185 MW)
4. United States (204,585 MW)
5. Vietnam (93,585 MW)
6. Greece (81,616 MW)
7. India (76,373 MW)
8. South Korea (76,153 MW)
9. Taiwan (67,296 MW)
10. Japan (55,147 MW)

The writer of this article is Dr. Seema Javed, a known Environmentalist, Journalist and Communications Expert