The Journal of the International Energy Agency - IEA
The Journal of the International Energy Agency - IEA
The Journal of the International Energy Agency - IEA
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2011 MINISTERIAL MEETING<br />
CURRENT FOCUS<br />
energy-efficient equipment. Our challenge,<br />
<strong>the</strong>refore, is to ensure energy frugality which<br />
is within <strong>the</strong> means <strong>of</strong> our citizens.<br />
What steps is India taking to alleviate energy<br />
poverty? How can <strong>the</strong> international<br />
community most effectively help India in<br />
this effort?<br />
<strong>The</strong> government <strong>of</strong> India, through its policies<br />
and programmes, is committed to providing<br />
electricity access to all citizens and<br />
ensure quality and reliable power supply<br />
at reasonable rates. RGGVY is a major initiative<br />
to extend access <strong>of</strong> electricity to all<br />
households in <strong>the</strong> country. About 96% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
inhabited villages in India can now access<br />
electricity, and access by households has improved<br />
significantly from 44% (as per 2001<br />
Census) to 70%. We intend to achieve 100%<br />
electricity access through this programme.<br />
In order to ensure quality and reliability <strong>of</strong><br />
power, we have focused our attention on <strong>the</strong><br />
implementation <strong>of</strong> distribution reforms and<br />
policies designed to promote competition, efficiency<br />
and investment in <strong>the</strong> power sector.<br />
<strong>The</strong> international community can contribute<br />
by sharing <strong>the</strong> best practices adopted<br />
by various countries for an effective and efficient<br />
power sector management and technological<br />
advancements in <strong>the</strong> sector.<br />
Plan. In <strong>the</strong> 12th Plan we propose adding<br />
about 75 000 MW at <strong>the</strong> rate <strong>of</strong> 15 000 MW<br />
a year. In addition, 15 000 MW from renewable<br />
energy sources and 13 000 MW from<br />
captive power plants are expected to be<br />
added during <strong>the</strong> 12th Plan.<br />
Inadequate manufacturing capacity <strong>of</strong> main<br />
plant and plant equipment has always been<br />
a major bottleneck in achieving high capacity<br />
targets. We have, <strong>the</strong>refore, taken a number<br />
<strong>of</strong> steps to address this concern. Large<br />
units with super-critical technology and<br />
Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPPs) are<br />
being set up to improve <strong>the</strong> generation <strong>of</strong><br />
power in <strong>the</strong> country.<br />
smart grids and to evolving <strong>the</strong> road map<br />
for implementation <strong>of</strong> smart grids in our<br />
country. <strong>The</strong> main functions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Smart<br />
Grid Task Force are to ensure awareness,<br />
co-ordination and integration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> diverse<br />
activities related to technologies, practices<br />
and services for smart grid research and<br />
development; to co-ordinate and integrate<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r relevant inter-governmental activities;<br />
to collaborate on an interoperability framework;<br />
to review and validate <strong>the</strong> recommendations<br />
from <strong>the</strong> Smart Grid Forum, etc.<br />
India’s rapid economic growth depends<br />
greatly on increased electricity – <strong>the</strong> <strong>IEA</strong><br />
predicts that demand will grow at least fivefold<br />
by 2050. How will this be achieved?<br />
Electricity, besides its importance in <strong>the</strong><br />
growth <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> country’s economy, plays a<br />
major role in <strong>the</strong> life <strong>of</strong> a common man and<br />
has a direct impact on <strong>the</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> life. In<br />
spite <strong>of</strong> capacity addition during <strong>the</strong> last<br />
60 years, <strong>the</strong> demand for power has always<br />
exceeded <strong>the</strong> supply, leading to energy shortages<br />
in India. Our endeavour and commitment<br />
<strong>the</strong>refore is to provide reliable, adequate,<br />
affordable and quality power to all<br />
users.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Indian economy is aiming to grow at <strong>the</strong><br />
rate <strong>of</strong> 8% to 10% during <strong>the</strong> next two Five-<br />
Year Plans. To sustain this growth, <strong>the</strong> infrastructure<br />
sector, including <strong>the</strong> power sector,<br />
will have to grow at a faster pace. This would<br />
require a huge capacity addition in <strong>the</strong> power<br />
sector apart from investment in transmission<br />
and distribution sectors. In <strong>the</strong> 11th<br />
Plan, we hope to add around 52,000 MW<br />
<strong>of</strong> fresh capacity, which would be almost 2.5<br />
times <strong>of</strong> capacity addition achieved in <strong>the</strong> 10th<br />
Power Minister Shinde at <strong>the</strong> 2009 <strong>IEA</strong> Ministerial: he reports continuing and close Indian co-operation with <strong>the</strong> <strong>Agency</strong>.<br />
You launched <strong>the</strong> India Smart Grid Task<br />
Force and Smart Grid Forum in 2010. What<br />
do smart grids <strong>of</strong>fer India?<br />
We envisage that smart grids will play a key<br />
role in our power system development and<br />
especially in enhancing <strong>the</strong> performance <strong>of</strong><br />
rural electricity supply systems. For <strong>the</strong> systematic<br />
growth <strong>of</strong> smart grids in <strong>the</strong> country,<br />
<strong>the</strong> India Smart Grid Task Force and <strong>the</strong><br />
India Smart Grid Forum have been set up<br />
under <strong>the</strong> aegis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ministry <strong>of</strong> Power.<br />
We are also a founding member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>IEA</strong>’s<br />
<strong>International</strong> Smart Grid Action Network<br />
(ISGAN) Implementing Agreement.<br />
<strong>The</strong> India Smart Grid Task Force is an Inter-<br />
Ministerial Group and will serve as <strong>the</strong> government’s<br />
focal point for activities related to<br />
<strong>The</strong> India Smart Grid Forum is a non-pr<strong>of</strong>it<br />
voluntary consortium <strong>of</strong> public and private<br />
stakeholders, research institutes and selected<br />
utilities with <strong>the</strong> prime objective <strong>of</strong><br />
accelerating <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> smart-grid<br />
technologies in <strong>the</strong> Indian power sector. <strong>The</strong><br />
goal <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> forum is to help <strong>the</strong> Indian power<br />
sector to deploy smart grid technologies in<br />
an efficient, cost-effective, innovative and<br />
scalable manner by bringing toge<strong>the</strong>r all <strong>the</strong><br />
key stakeholders and enabling technologies.<br />
In July <strong>of</strong> this year, we launched <strong>the</strong> first<br />
renewable energy-based mini-grid system<br />
in collaboration with <strong>the</strong> Ministry <strong>of</strong> New<br />
and Renewable <strong>Energy</strong>. We expect that<br />
smart grids will help to optimise our transmission<br />
and distribution capacity and provide<br />
a fully-fledged opportunity to integrate<br />
renewable-based electricity into <strong>the</strong> power<br />
system.<br />
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