India’s Union Cabinet gave its approval for a cooperation agreement between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of India (MNRE) and the Ministry for Energy, Utilities and Climate of the Kingdom of Denmark, earlier this week.
According to a press release, the Danish Energy Agency is starting three-year strategic sector cooperation with Indian ministries and national institutes. Offshore wind energy and integration of renewable energy into the electrical system are the key focus areas. An Indo-Danish knowledge centre will be set up for the development of wind energy in the country.
The agreement includes measures to develop and sustain a highly efficient wind industry, both onshore as well as offshore. Developing solutions to ensure high-quality wind turbines, components, and certification requirements, and forecasting and scheduling of off-shore wind will also be covered under the agreement.
The Indo-Danish centre plans to explore renewable energy resource assessments. It will primarily work on hybridising wind, solar, hydro and storage technologies, integrating renewable energy, testing, and research and development.
According to industry experts, energy plays a significant role in a country’s economy and a rapidly growing economy like India requires access to alternative and more sustainable sources of energy. The energy supplies in the country are not able to meet its demands, and with the economy experiencing 7-8% growth rates, India needs to bolster its generation capabilities. With an estimated 127 GW(Gigawatt) of offshore wind energy potential, the country may be able to successfully and completely transition to more sustainable energy resources.
Therefore, over the last couple of years, India has been very clear regarding the its ambitions for the expansion of sustainable energy, such as wind and solar energy – especially considering India’s fast-growing electricity usage and their contribution the Paris Climate Agreement, a statement said.
The Indian Prime Minister has stated that the country will produce 227 GW of green energy by 2022. The Prime Minister is completing the electrification of all Indian villages, but the increasing prosperity of people in India is expected to up the demand for energy significantly in the coming years, especially wind and solar energy. If everything goes as planned, India will have a capacity of 66 GW onshore wind in four years.
In 2018, the Indian government announced its plan to build 30,000 MW (Megawatt) offshore wind capacity by 2030, a move that is expected to make India one of the world’s largest markets in the sector for sustainable energy.
The aim is to encourage investment in energy infrastructure, attain energy security, promote research and development in the offshore wind energy sector, and reduce carbon emissions.
By 2040, India will account for 30% of the world’s increased energy demand and thereby have the largest energy growth, ahead of China. It is projected to be the world’s fastest-growing economy until 2040 (with a 5.5% average GDP growth).