NEW DELHI – India plans to build a string of renewable energy projectsalong its sun-baked, wind-whipped western border, officials said Monday, asNew Delhi continues an ambitious programme to reduce the country’sdependence on fossil fuels.
Mired in an economic slowdown, the government has tripled spending over thelast three years as part of its push to cut down the use of oil and coal.
“We are studying land feasibility and have identified projects worth 30gigawatt capacity for Gujarat and 25 gigawatt capacity for Rajasthan,”Anand Kumar, new and renewable energy secretary, told AFP.
The government had zeroed in on barren desert areas in a bid to avoid usingagricultural land, he said, adding the sunny and windy region was ideallysuited to renewable energy facilities.
Work on the projects would begin roughly 18 months after approval from thedefence ministry and following land feasibility studies, he said.
“These projects will help reduce India’s carbon footprint and adhere topromises made at the 2015 Paris agreement,” Kumar said.
India currently harnesses 23 percent of its total power from renewablesources, including solar and wind.
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R.K. Singh, minister for power and renewable energy, told parliament inJuly that India’s capacity had crossed 80 gigawatts and was on track toreach 175 gigawatts in three years’ time, as pledged by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi.
However, private investment in the renewable sector remains low, and thegovernment has found securing land for projects difficult.
Renewable energy projects are not feasible in agricultural or forest lands,said Amit Bhandari of Mumbai-based think tank Gateway House.
“Since most of these western border areas are wastelands or semi-desert,they are perfect for setting up these projects,” he told AFP.
Meanwhile, investment in fossil fuel-based energy sources continues to risein the South Asian nation, with both French energy giant Total and SaudiArabia’s Aramco buying stakes in Indian companies. -APP/AFP
