Thermal will remain key player in India’s energy mix: SECI chief

India could meet its Net Zero goal before the 2070 target keeping in mind the growing non-fossil fuel capacity edition led by renewables but coal will continue to be an important part of India’s energy mix to meet the growing power demand of the country, said RP Gupta, CMD, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) Ltd.
Speaking at the Business Today India@100, Gupta said that India’s emissions will peak in early 2040 and then come down.

“Thermal energy will remain (part of the energy mix) in the 50s and 60s. The way technology has progressed and the target to become Net Zero by 2070 would be pulled down and probably by 2060 we may be net zero,” Gupta said at the ‘Navigating the Green energy Transition’ session.  

He said India is on track to meet its 2030 target of having 500GW of non-fossil fuel electricity and reducing the emission intensity.   

The Economic Survey also talked about how thermal power, especially coal-based power plants, will play a significant role in providing base load to support large-scale deployment of renewables as India faces the dual challenge of meeting energy demands while reducing carbon emissions.

India’s renewed commitment to having coal as an important part of the energy mix is important keeping in mind growing pressure from developed countries to push developing countries to phase out of coal-based power generation. In the run-up to COP29 climate change talks in Baku later this year, the developed nations are expected to put pressure on developing economies like India to commit to phasing out coal.

India generates over 70% of its power through coal and has insisted that it will continue to expand thermal power, keeping in mind the country's need for development.