India has long maintained a firm stance on using coal, asserting its necessity for energy security and developmental growth. However, energy experts and environmental advocates are urging the nation to explore decarbonization methods for its coal-fired power plants as a means to mitigate emissions—recognizing the reality that coal will continue to play a role in India's energy landscape. Ashok Lavasa, a former secretary of union ministries, aptly noted at a recent event, "You can't wish away coal…If coal is king, then can it be a benevolent king?"
The dilemma arises from India being the world's third-largest carbon emitter, facing international pressure to significantly reduce emissions while aiming for a net-zero target by 2070. The increasing electricity demand poses a crucial challenge, with projections indicating a growth of over 9% between 2021 and 2025, eventually set to double by 2030. Since the early 2000s, coal-fired power plants have substantially supplied over 70% of India's total electricity—a figure that remains stagnant.
This heavy reliance creates a significant environmental burden, with electricity generation accounting for more than 40% of the nation's annual carbon emissions. Although India is advancing its renewable energy goals, contributing to 46% of total installed capacity, these sources face limitations of intermittent supply, leading experts to emphasize the need for thermal plants to maintain steady power availability, especially during peak demand hours.
Rajiv Porwal from Grid India highlights a shortage of adequate energy storage capacity for renewables, necessitating the continued operation of thermal power for consistent electricity distribution. Experts underscore that any mismatch between supply and demand can jeopardize grid stability, echoing recent power-cut incidents witnessed in Spain.
As renewable resources continue to develop, India is exploring ways to cut coal emissions to align with its commitments under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, as a recent report asserted that decarbonization of coal-fired plants could slash the country's greenhouse gas emissions by 30%.
However, thermal plants face obstacles, needing to operate at a minimum of 55% capacity throughout the day, which complicates the integration of renewable sources. Experts assert the urgency of enhancing the efficiency of these plants and are promoting innovative technologies for carbon capture, even as current practices yield limited results.
Another potential solution includes using agricultural residue in place of coal—a method which has seen success in reducing coal dependency in regions around Delhi. Yet wider implementations remain slow, and experts admit that achieving emissions reductions from coal-fired power plants will require significant systemic transformations despite the high costs and unresolved questions regarding funding sources.
