A quarter of India’s energy demand in 2030 ‘could be met with renewables’

India could raise its renewable energy use to meet a quarter of its total final energy demand by 2030, says the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), but investment in renewables needs to more than double to meet this goal.

A report from IRENA, Renewable energy prospects for India, says that India could increase its share of renewable power to over onethird by 2030, with biofuels making up 62% of the country’s total renewable energy use, followed by solar power at 16%, wind at 14% and hydropower at 7%.

Energy from biofuels could be used across the demand spectrum within several sectors like transport, heat and electricity, whilst increased renewable supply would also lower the demand for coal and oil products between 17% and 23% by 2030, says IRENA.

Increased renewables generation will result in more jobs and improved energy access for poor communities (estimates suggest that some 80mn households have limited or no access to electricity).

However, meeting India’s electricity demand – which has grown by 10% each year for the past decade – will require investment in more flexible power grid systems, interconnectors and storage. Mobilising affordable financing and adapting new business models will also be essential to enable a more flexible grid system, the report finds.

If India sourced a quarter of its total energy demand from renewable sources by 2030, its Paris Agreement pledge would be fulfilled, says the report.