Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy in India
Energy is the engine of development: it lights homes, runs factories, pumps water and moves vehicles. India is today one of the largest producers and consumers of energy in the world, and its energy is drawn from two great families of sources. The non-renewable sources, such as coal, petroleum, natural gas and nuclear fuel, are limited and will one day run out, while the renewable sources, such as the sun, wind, water, biomass and the heat of the earth, are naturally replenished and are much cleaner. India's dependence on coal is huge, but the country is expanding solar and wind power at a record pace and has set ambitious targets for the future. The leading states, the great projects and the important schemes in this chapter are among the most frequently asked current-affairs questions in the general-knowledge paper.
Renewable and non-renewable energy
Renewable energy comes from sources that are naturally replenished, such as the sun, the wind, flowing water, biomass and the heat of the earth. Non-renewable energy comes from sources that cannot be replenished quickly, such as coal, petroleum, natural gas and nuclear fuel. Green energy is another name for energy from clean and renewable sources that do not pollute the air. Renewable energy is important because it reduces pollution and greenhouse gases, it does not run out, and it improves the energy security of a country that imports much of its oil. Its challenges are that the supply varies with the weather and the season, that it needs large areas of land and that it needs storage and grid systems to work smoothly.
Thermal power and the conventional sources
The largest source of power in India is thermal power, most of it based on coal, and thermal power provides about 60 to 70 per cent of the country's installed capacity. India is fortunate to have large coal reserves, and the coalfields of Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal feed power plants across the country. The disadvantages of thermal power are that coal is exhaustible, that burning it causes air pollution and carbon emissions and that moving coal over long distances is costly. In Assam the main source of thermal power is natural gas, which is cleaner than coal and is available from the oil and gas fields of the state.
Hydropower and the great projects
Hydropower is a renewable source that uses the energy of falling water to turn turbines. The main source of hydroelectric power in India is the rivers of the Himalayas and the Western Ghats, where steep slopes and heavy rainfall give a strong and steady flow. The largest hydroelectric project of India is the Koyna Hydroelectric Project in Maharashtra, and the largest hydropower station by installed capacity is the Tehri Hydropower Project, whose total installed capacity is about 2,400 MW. Hydropower is clean and cheap to run once built, but large dams displace people, submerge forests and can be risky in earthquake zones, so the balance between benefit and cost is always debated.
Solar, wind and the new energy push
Solar power is the largest source of renewable energy in India, and the country is one of the world's leaders in adding solar capacity. The largest solar power park in the world is the Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan, and Rajasthan is the largest solar state of India. The National Solar Mission, launched in 2010, was designed to promote solar power and originally targeted 100 GW of solar capacity. India's broader target is about 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. In wind energy, Gujarat is the largest wind energy producing state, followed by Tamil Nadu, and India's wind capacity is about 45,000 MW and growing. The International Solar Alliance, launched by India in 2015, brings many countries together to promote solar energy. The largest producer of solar energy in the world is China, and the share of renewable energy in India's total installed capacity is now about 30 to 35 per cent and rising.
Nuclear energy
Nuclear power is a low-carbon but non-renewable source, because it depends on uranium, which is mined and can be exhausted. The largest nuclear power plant of India is the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu, and the first nuclear power plant of India was Tarapur in Maharashtra, commissioned in 1969. India's total nuclear power capacity is about 7,000 MW, and the country plans to increase it as part of its effort to cut emissions. Nuclear power produces no smoke while generating, but it leaves radioactive waste and requires very high standards of safety, which is why public debate about nuclear plants is always intense.
Energy in Assam and the North-East
The North-East is rich in energy resources of several kinds. Its largest source of renewable energy is hydropower, because its steep rivers and heavy rainfall give a great potential for electricity. The largest hydropower project of the North-East is the Lower Subansiri project, with a capacity of about 2,000 MW, built on the Subansiri river. The total renewable capacity of the North-East is about 1,500 MW and growing, and Assam's main source of thermal power is natural gas, while the state also has oil and coal. Other renewable sources found in India include biogas, which is a renewable fuel produced from organic waste, geothermal energy from the heat of the earth, with plants at Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh and Tattapani in Chhattisgarh, and tidal energy generated from the rise and fall of the tides.
Quick revision
For quick revision, first separate the two families: renewable from the sun, wind, water, biomass and the heat of the earth, and non-renewable from coal, petroleum, natural gas and nuclear fuel. The largest source of power in India is thermal power at about 60 to 70 per cent, and in Assam the main thermal source is natural gas. Solar is the largest renewable source, the Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan is the largest solar park in the world, and Rajasthan is the largest solar state. The National Solar Mission began in 2010 with a 100 GW solar target, the 2030 target is about 500 GW of non-fossil capacity, the International Solar Alliance was launched in 2015 and China is the world's largest producer of solar energy. In wind power Gujarat leads, followed by Tamil Nadu, with about 45,000 MW of capacity. The largest hydroelectric project is Koyna in Maharashtra and the largest hydropower station by installed capacity is Tehri at about 2,400 MW. In nuclear power, Kudankulam is the largest plant, Tarapur in 1969 was the first and the total capacity is about 7,000 MW. In the North-East, hydropower is the largest renewable source, the Lower Subansiri project is the largest and the total renewable capacity is about 1,500 MW.
How to prepare this topic
- Begin by sorting every source into renewable and non-renewable, because most questions start with this distinction and then ask which source is the largest or the cleanest.
- Memorise the shares and capacities: thermal about 60 to 70 per cent, renewables about 30 to 35 per cent, wind about 45,000 MW, nuclear about 7,000 MW and the North-East about 1,500 MW.
- Keep the "largest" list ready: Bhadla for solar parks, Rajasthan for solar states, Gujarat for wind, Koyna for hydroelectric projects, Tehri for hydropower capacity, Kudankulam for nuclear plants and Lower Subansiri for the North-East.
- Learn the schemes and years together: the National Solar Mission in 2010 with a 100 GW target, the International Solar Alliance in 2015 and the 500 GW non-fossil target for 2030.
- Remember the smaller sources as a group - biogas from organic waste, geothermal from the heat of the earth with Manikaran and Tattapani and tidal energy from the tides.
Common exam traps
- Thermal power, not renewable power, is still the largest source of electricity in India; renewables are growing fast but are second.
- Koyna is the largest hydroelectric project, while Tehri is the largest hydropower station by installed capacity; they are two different records.
- Rajasthan leads in solar and Gujarat in wind, so do not swap the two states.
- Tarapur was the first nuclear power plant, in 1969, but Kudankulam is the largest; the two are often mixed up.
- Nuclear power is low-carbon but is not renewable, because it depends on uranium, which is a mineral that can be exhausted.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy?
Renewable energy comes from sources that are naturally replenished, such as the sun, wind, flowing water, biomass and the heat of the earth. Non-renewable energy comes from sources that cannot be replenished quickly, such as coal, petroleum, natural gas and nuclear fuel. Green energy means energy from clean, renewable sources that do not pollute. Renewable energy reduces pollution, does not run out and improves energy security, but its supply varies with the weather.
Which is the largest source of power in India and what is the share of thermal power?
The largest source of power in India is thermal power, most of it based on coal, and thermal power provides about 60 to 70 per cent of the country's installed capacity. India has large coal reserves, but thermal power is polluting and coal is exhaustible. In Assam the main source of thermal power is natural gas, which is cleaner than coal and is available from the state's oil and gas fields.
Which are the largest solar and wind power facts of India?
Solar power is the largest source of renewable energy in India. The largest solar power park in the world is the Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan, and Rajasthan is the largest solar state of India. The National Solar Mission was launched in 2010 with a target of 100 GW of solar capacity, and the International Solar Alliance was launched by India in 2015. In wind energy, Gujarat is the largest producer, followed by Tamil Nadu, with a capacity of about 45,000 MW.
What are the largest hydroelectric and nuclear power facts of India?
The largest hydroelectric project of India is the Koyna Hydroelectric Project in Maharashtra, and the largest hydropower station by installed capacity is the Tehri Hydropower Project at about 2,400 MW. The main source of hydroelectric power is the rivers of the Himalayas and the Western Ghats. In nuclear power, the largest plant is the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu, the first plant was Tarapur in Maharashtra, commissioned in 1969, and the total nuclear capacity is about 7,000 MW.
What are the energy facts of Assam and the North-East?
In the North-East, the largest source of renewable energy is hydropower, because the steep rivers and heavy rainfall give great potential. The largest hydropower project of the North-East is the Lower Subansiri project, with a capacity of about 2,000 MW, built on the Subansiri river. The total renewable capacity of the North-East is about 1,500 MW and growing. Other renewable sources in India include biogas from organic waste, geothermal energy from the heat of the earth at Manikaran and Tattapani, and tidal energy from the tides.