Energy transition in India- B. C. Mallick, Principal Chief Engineer, CEA

Strategic Transition
1. Low Carbon Development of Electricity Systems
2. Develop an Integrated, Efficient, Inclusive, Low-Carbon Transport System
3. Promoting Adaptation in Urban Design, Energy and Material-Efficiency in Buildings, and Sustainable Urbanisation
4. Promoting economy-wide decoupling of growth from emissions and development of an efficient, innovative, lowcarbon industrial system
5. CO2 Removal and Related Engineering Solutions
6. Enhancing Forest and Vegetation Cover
7. Economic and Financial Aspects of Low-Carbon Development and Long-Term Transition to Net-Zero by 2070

Clean Energy Transition
Recognize all sources, options and commercially viable technologies, along with new innovations that canhelp in a time-bound manner in achieving a clean energy transition.
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Expansion of solar, hydro and wind capacities
Increase share of energy from waste and biomass
More nuclear power capacities addition
Flexibilisation of coal based plants
Energy storage system- PSP, BESS
Carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies in coal based plants
Ammonia co-firing with coal

Green hydrogen is likely to play a significant role in decarbonizing energy use in many of the emission
intensive industries.
Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) and biofuels also offer a promising potential to transition the sector away fromfossil fuels.
Advances in battery technology, mass manufacturing, and development of related infrastructure are critical forfast-tracking the transition in transportation sector.

Research and Innovation
Innovative Technologies in Energy Sector•Development of Bio-Based Clean Energy Innovations•Development of Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies•Energy Storage Systems•Hydrogen Economy•Development of Biomass-to-Liquids Fuel Production•Commercialization and Initiatives of Cellulosic Ethanol•Waste Heat Recovery Systems for Utilizing the Flue Gas•Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) Technology
Innovative Technologies in Industrial Systems•Low-carbon development of the industrial sector• Aviation Industry•Steel and Cement Industrya) Ambitious RE targets

Policies and Programmeb) ‘Must-run’ priority dispatch status for renewables: Preference is given to RE power in the merit order despatch, despite costs,c) Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO): These are obligations for the purchase of RE power, specified by State Electricity
Regulatory Commissions for distribution companies, open access consumers and captive plants.
d) Promotion of Hydro Power: This is being undertaken through several policy measures to tap hydro power potential in the country,
including the introduction of Hydro Purchase Obligation.
e) Energy Storage Obligations: These are being progressively introduced. However, their expansion will depend on decreasing cost ofstorage technologies, transfer of this type of technology and concessional finance.
f)Green energy corridors: These are being developed to strengthen transmission networks in eight RE rich States.

g) Policy and financial incentives: These include solar park development, accelerated depreciation on investment, waiver on transmission
charges, and capital subsidy for residential solar roof-top.
h) Thrust to increase nuclear installed capacity.
i)

Agricultural solar pumps are being promoted . The consumption of energy in the agriculture sector is an important aspect to ensure
the food security aspect of the country and the globe, as large energy consumption is required for irrigation pumps.

Policies and Programmej)

Manufacturing support such as production-linked incentives for solar, electric vehicles and battery storage systems.

k) Establishment of a ‘Renewable Energy Management Centre’ for supervision, monitoring and control of RE.
l)

Policy and financial assistance for promotion of waste to energy measures.

m) Enabling bundling of thermal and hydro power with RE to enhance flexibility.
n) Policies to support biomass use for power generation.
o) Roadmap of a sustainable and holistic approach to National Energy Efficiency (ROSHANEE) for Revised NationalMission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency: This will enable alignment with the goals of the NDC, mainly through energy
efficiency and conservation activities included under standards and labelling programme for appliances, building efficiency
programme, industrial efficiency improvement under Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme.
p) Green hydrogen mission to incentivise green hydrogen production.
q) Support to R&D in carbon capture and utilisation.
r) Developing or deploying storage systems (Pumped Storage Plants, Battery Energy Storage Systems etc.)

Promoting Markets and Competition
1) Increasing electrolyser manufacturing capacity several fold by 2030 to become a global leader.
2) India envisages becoming a leading exporter of Green Hydrogen (GH) and Green Ammonia (GA) by 2030.
3) Encourage adoption of green hydrogen and green ammonia in hard to abate sectors, and ensuring
availability of low-cost green electricity for green hydrogen.
4) Promote co-firing of green ammonia in thermal power plants (TPPs). Beyond 2030, this would involve:a. Enhancing industrial demand for green hydrogen and green ammonia (fuel switching – GH/GA
replacing coke and natural gas)b. Expanding infrastructure for transporting and storing hydrogen, including pipelines, and storage tanks.
5) Several of the above strategies will require research and development.

Installed capacity
Actualas on 31.07.2023

Targetas on 31.03.2030

(GW)

(%)

(GW)

(%)

Thermal:Hydro:
Gas:
Nuclear:Renewable:

212.51
46.85
25.04
7.48
130.89

50.27
11.08
5.92
1.77
30.96

267.0076.00 (*)
25.00
19.00
450.00

32.09
8.77
3.00
2.04
54.09

Total

422.77100.00837.00100.00Non- fossile: Hydro + Nuclear + Solar+ Wind = 185.22 GW (43.84%)(*) Including PSP of 18.9 GW

Maximum Solar/Wind Generation (GW) in 2029-30

837497

27117

41767

WIND
Solar+Wind67873

69600

68610

68896

73379

70872

843675

92804

SOLAR

74701

7754396733635710934691923659532685281712760722609 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

50000

51372

145680210792230155226859199153

53928

39459

47494

38768

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 2471649

10000062905

7150000

62709

6200000

67689

5864155

4Solar+ Wind

70062

37250000

70995

2WIND

70406

1673971

05SOLAR

13347
14409
16106
14948
15629
12239
51887

50000

58204
8407
10264
10026
10419
10957
13135
15233

100000

4

67873
68610
69600
68896
70872
74314
10913015000031629542020002081352238402209232240612135791975221679322000002Solar+Wind

111352
64769
64156
67689
70062
70995
70406
73971

132316
181426225444239590246327
247664228978183511
137981250000

1WIND

Max. Wind day, July,2029

Max. Solar Day, May,2030
30000040828

04332550000

47630100000

44996

Recommended Battery Storage capacity: 42 GW

SOLAR

104241150000222457171521200000

194737250000228663Max. Demand day Solar and Wind Gen., May,2029

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Effects of low load operation
Efficiency: At part load the efficiency of unit shall be decreased
which is major part of flexibilisation cost.

Impact on Life of Plant: Flexible operation increases the creep-fatigue damage caused bythermal stresses. Almost all components of the Boiler, turbine and generator are affected
ranging from severe to moderate.
These damages impact the thermal units by••••Increased life consumption leading to increased maintenance
Efficiency loss due to increase of heat rate at lower load
Increased auxiliary power consumption
The measures shall increased number of start due to increased Equivalent Forced Outage Rate(EFOR).

Units operating in flexible mode needs to be suitably compensated for the above damages.

Maintenance and unit Operators: The maintenance strategy has
to be developed based on the extent of flexibilization as flexible
operation leads to increased life consumption of plant components,increased outages and failures.

Compensation for operating a unit at 40% load
1. Capital Expenditure: One-time expenditure to be incurred for retrofitting ofvarious measures to make the plant capable of low load operation. An estimated capital
investment of Rs 10 crores to 30 crores for each unit shall be required depending on
unit’s age, size, existing plant’s control & instrumentation system etc.
Increase in tariff (paisa/kWh)Unit size (MW)Loading(%)

Min. capex (10 cr.)Max. capex (30 cr.)

200

40%

2.56

7.6850040%

1.02

3.07660

40%

0.85

2.56

800

40%

0.64

1.92

3. Cost due to increase in Net Heat Rate: After analyzing the HBD report ofmajor OEMs (BHEL/GE/Siemens) and actual test report of low load operation unit
size wise Net Heat Rate increase including it’s tariff impacts has been prepared

2. O&M cost due to increased Life Consumption (damage costs): Flexible
operation leads to a higher rate of deterioration of plant’s components. This is observedin increased failure rate and more frequent replacement of components.

Capacity (MW)Loading(%)

O&M cost
Increase(%)

Increase in
O&M cost (RsCr.)

Increase in
O&M cost(Paisa/kWh)

200
500
660
800

40%40%40%40%

20.00
20.00
20.00
20.00

14.62
24.97
29.66
32.35

14.88
10.16
9.14
8.23

Loading(%)

Pit head unit

Non-pit headunit

Unit Size (MW)Net HeatRateincrease(%)

Variable Tariffincrease(Paisa/kWh)

Variable Tariffincrease(Paisa/kWh)

200

40%

16.00

21.89

36.11

500

40%

16.00

21.53

35.52

660

40%

14.60

18.74

30.92

800

40%

15.00

18.58

30.65

Increase in tariff (paisa/kWh)
Capex =10 crores

Capex = 30 crores

Unit size (MW)Pit headNon-pithead

200

40.33

54.55

45.45

59.67

500

33.71

47.70

35.76

49.75

660

29.73

41.91

31.44

43.62

800

28.45

40.52

29.73

41.80

Pit headNon-pit head

4. EFOR: The additional EFOR due to regular low load operation of thermal
generating units may increase specific oil consumption from 0.5 ml/kWh to 0.7
ml/kWh. Therefore 1.0 paisa per kWh may increase due to EFOR.

Flexible Operation of Thermal Power Stations
CEA (Flexible operation of coal based thermal power generating units) Regulations, 2023 –Notified on 30thJanuary, 2023

 A report on Flexiblization of coal fired Thermal Power Plants – A Roadmap for achieving 40%Technical Minimum
Load has been prepared, published and widely circulated, phasing plan for implementation is under finalization.
 23 GW equivalent BSS capacity can be created by flexible operation
 Another 20 GW peak support possibility is being explored by 2 shift operation
 Compensation mechanism for below 55% low load operation upto 40% - Methodology has been approved by
MOP and sent to CERC.

12New Environment Norms
Emission parameter

TPPs (units) installed after TPPs (units) to be
01.01.2004 and up toinstalledfrom31.12.2016
01.01.2017
50 mg/Nm3
30 mg/Nm3
Particulate Matter
100 mg/Nm3
600 mg/Nm3 for units less 600 mg/Nm3 for units
Sulphur Dioxide
100 mg/Nm3(SO2)than 500MW capacity
less than 500MW capacity
200 mg/Nm3 for units
200 mg/Nm3 for units
500MW and above
500MW and above
450 mg/Nm3
100 mg/Nm3
Oxides of Nitrogen 600 mg/Nm3(NOx)Mercury
0.03 mg/Nm3
0.03 mg/Nm30.03 mg/Nm3
WATER NORMS

TPPs (units) installed
before 31.12.2003

I.

All existing CT based plants shall reduce specific water consumption up-to
maximum of 3.5 m3/MWh within a period of 2 years.
II. New plants to be installed after 1.1.2017 shall have to meet specific water
consumption of 3 m3/ MWh & achieve zero water discharge.

Other Low-Carbon Technologies
1) Exploring a significantly greater role for nuclear power: Nuclear power currently provides 3% of electricity
generation. Sufficient production and share of nuclear power are highly significant for ensuring country’s energysecurity.
2) The potential for establishment of small modular nuclear reactors is to be explored, and this will require sharing
and transfer of relevant technologies.
3) Promoting R&D for frontier technologies: Emergent technologies includes:i. coal gasification,ii. carbon capture, utilization and storage systems,iii. biomass co-firing,iv. offshore wind,v. high efficiency fuel cells,
vi. advanced solar materials,
vii. advanced chemistry cells,viii. tidal power,ix. small modular reactors,
x. and smart demand response systems.
India will promote the R&D of such technologies to be ready to capitalize on such expertise as and when the opportunity
arises.

Thank you