India Should Increase its Solar Capacity to 5630 GW, to Become a Net-zero Emissions Nation by 2070: Study

India’s total installed solar power capacity would need to increase to 5630 GW if it were to commit to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emission by 2070, the study titled ‘Implications of a Net-zero Target for India’s Sectoral Energy Transitions and Climate Policy’ said.

At present, India has 100 GW of installed renewable energy capacity, of which solar comprises 40 GW, the study released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said.

India should increase its solar power capacity to 5630 GW in order to become a net-zero emissions nation by 2070, according to a study.

The government has set an ambitious target to scale up its total renewable energy capacity to 450 GW by 2030.

To meet the target, India should also co-invest and co-develop new green technologies in partnership with other countries to create new jobs and markets. Green hydrogen is one such technology that could replace coal in the industrial sector, Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, CEEW, said.

Developed economies should significantly advance their target of achieving net-zero and not wait till 2050. This will give developing countries room to pursue a just and sustainable energy transition, he added.

According to the CEEW study, in 2070, electric or battery-driven passenger vehicles would comprise 84 % of total cars sold in the country.

Around 79 % of all trucks would run on battery-electric technology and rest on hydrogen. Households across the country would also have to use electricity as the primary cooking fuel.

India would also need to develop the requisite recycling capacities to handle the solar PV waste generated, the study said.