Non-Conventional Energy: The Road Ahead

Energy is the prime source of all socio-economic activities of the human community. The demographic rate of growth globally and the widening spectrum of economic growth would result in demands of energy at an incremental rate of 7 to 8% annually. This can easily support a GDP growth of 8 to 9% per annum. Projections point toward a doubling of global energy demands in the decade starting 2020. There will be a marked shift in patterns of energy consumption whereby developing economies of the world would have a share exceeding two-third of global energy consumption by that period.

Fossil fuels’ consumption would remain the major source of energy generation and globally employed power generation technologies. The apportionment of renewable energy in the entire energy supply will continue to be marginal in the real sense. The contribution of renewable energy-excepting hydel energy and conventional biomass-as a proportion of global energy output is pegged at a paltry 2%. This scenario in all likelihood is not going to be altered therefore, guaranteeing the possibility of nudging the renewable contribution up to 5% by 2020. The global sources of fossil fuel will have become dearer due to their depletion thereby, making the viability of fossil fuel plants restoring parity with the renewable sources. 60% of the cumulated energy needs world-wide would be met through renewable sources.

Growing economies, especially of Asia are gifted with sufficient resource base and non-conventional energy technologies are consistent both for grid linked energy generation and transmission in out of the way locales that are islanded from the grid. Adaptation of technology and employing them should be pursued right from this moment to have a head-start, be informed of the barriers in technology applications of the renewable variety and synergising them with the existing, traditional power production technology and T&D networks. It is known that in coming times, wind energy will be the most cost-effective renewable resource. Yet, it is doubtful if any individual technology would hold centre-stage.

It was in the 1970s that the real potential and role of renewable energy sources was sensed and identified in India for sustainable energy growths. During the past quarter of a century, a significant thrust has been given to the development, trial and induction of a variety of renewable energy technologies for use in different sectors. The activities cover all major renewable energy sources, such as biogas, biomass, solar energy, wind energy, small hydro power and other emerging technologies.

India has presently among the world’s plentiful agenda on renewable energy. in the 8th Plan, vis-à-vis a proposal of 600 MW generation, close to 1050 MW of power generating capacity fastened to renewable energy sources was added. About 1500 MW of the total grid capacity in the country, is now based on renewable energy sources. India is rated fourth in the world with a wind power capacity of 1000-1100 MW. Small hydel power generation, which is especially ideal for remote, hilly regions, presently not exploited but holds a potential of 500 MW in today’s scenario. India has an extensive cane sugar production and we are implementing the world’s biggest bagasse based cogeneration programme in agglomeration with sugar mills. There is substantial leverage as regards to deducing energy from urban and industrial wastes. The National Programmes lays special emphasis on supplying energy to rural areas. Close to 2.75 million biogas plants and over 28 million upgraded wood-stoves are also in use in the country.