President of India addresses energy issues

[Guest guest]

The first part is in Hindi, then in English. The section on energy

starts about

1/3 of the way down the page. Follow the link for the embedded charts.

 

-- Philip B. / Washington, DC

 

--

 

http://presidentofindia.nic.in/scripts/eventslatest1.jsp?id=956

 

 

.. . .

 

Energy Independence

 

Today on this 59th Independence Day, I would like to discuss with all

of you

another important area that is " Energy Security " as a transition to total

" Energy Independence " .Energy is the lifeline of modern societies. But

today,

India has 17% of the world's population, and just 0.8% of the world's

known oil

and natural gas resources. We might expand the use of our coal

reserves for some

time and that too at a cost and with environmental challenges. The

climate of

the globe as a whole is changing. Our water resources are also

diminishing at a

faster rate. As it is said, energy and water demand will soon surely be a

defining characteristic of our people's life in the 21st Century.

 

[Chart: Pattern of Global Energy Dependence]

 

Energy Security rests on two principles. The first, to use the least

amount of

energy to provide services and cut down energy losses. The second, to

secure

access to all sources of energy including coal, oil and gas supplies

worldwide,

till the end of the fossil fuel era which is fast approaching.

Simultaneously we

should access technologies to provide a diverse supply of reliable,

affordable

and environmentally sustainable energy.

 

[Chart: Annual Requirement of OIL in India]

 

As you all know, our annual requirement of oil is 114 million tonnes.

Significant part of this is consumed in the Transportation Sector. We

produce

only about 25 % of our total requirement. The presently known

resources and

future exploration of oil and gas may give mixed results. The import

cost today

of oil and natural gas is over Rs. 120,000 crores. Oil and gas prices are

escalating; the barrel cost of oil has doubled within a year. This

situation has

to be combated.

 

Energy Security, which means ensuring that our country can supply lifeline

energy to all its citizens, at affordable costs at all times, is thus

a very

important and significant need and is an essential step forward. But

it must be

considered as a transition strategy, to enable us to achieve our real

goal that

is - Energy Independence or an economy which will function well with total

freedom from oil, gas or coal imports. Is it possible?

 

Hence, Energy Independence has to be our nation's first and highest

priority. We

must be determined to achieve this within the next 25 years i.e by the

year

2030. This one major, 25-year national mission must be formulated, funds

guaranteed, and the leadership entrusted without delay as public-private

partnerships to our younger generation, now in their 30's, as their

lifetime

mission in a renewed drive for nation-building.

 

Goals and Policies

 

Now friends, I would now like to discuss with you some goals,

strategies and

policies for a major national mission to attain Energy Independence.

 

Energy Consumption Pattern in India in 2005: We have to critically

look at the

need for Energy Independence in different ways in its two major sectors:

Electric power generation and Transportation. At present, we have an

installed

capacity of about

 

[Chart: Energy Consumption Pattern in India]

 

121,000 MW of electricity, which is 3% of world capacity. We also

depend on oil

to the extent of 114 million tonnes every year, 75% of which is

imported, and

used almost entirely in the Transportation Sector. Forecasts of our Energy

requirements by 2030, when our population may touch 1.4 billion

people, indicate

that demand from power sector will increase from the existing 120,000

MW to

about 400,000 MW. This assumes an energy growth rate of 5% per annum.

 

Electric Power Generation Sector: Electric power generation in India now

accesses four basic energy sources: Fossil fuels such as oil, natural

gas and

coal; Hydroelectricity; Nuclear power; and Renewable energy sources

such as

bio-fuels, solar, biomass, wind and ocean.

 

[Chart: Energy Consumption in Power Sector (2005)]

 

Fortunately for us, 89% of energy used for power generation today is

indigeneous, from coal (56%), hydroelectricity (25%), nuclear power

(3%) and

Renewable (5%). Solar energy segment contributes just 0.2% of our energy

production.

 

Energy Independence in Electric Power Generation

 

Thus it would be seen that only 11% of electric power generation is

dependent on

oil and natural gas which is mostly imported at enormous cost. Only 1%

of oil is

(about 2-3 million tonnes of oil) being used every year for producing

electricity. However, power generation to the extent of 10% is

dependent on high

cost gas supplies. We are making efforts to access natural gas from other

countries.

 

[Chart: Energy Consumption in Power Sector (2030)]

 

Now I shall discuss another fossil fuel, coal. Even though India has

abundant

quantities of coal, it is constrained to regional locations, high ash

content,

affecting the thermal efficiency of our power plants, and also there are

environmental concerns. Thus, a movement towards Energy Independence would

demand accelerated work in operationalizing the production of energy

from the

coal sector through integrated gasification and combined cycle route.

In 2030,

the total energy requirement would be 400,000 MW. At that time, the power

generated from coal-based power plants would increase from the

existing 67,000

MW to 200,000 MW. This would demand significant build-up of thermal power

stations and large scale expansion of coal fields.

 

Changing Structure of Energy Sources:

 

The strategic goals for Energy Independence by 2030 would thus call

for a shift

in the structure of energy sources. Firstly, fossil fuel imports need

to be

minimized and secure access to be ensured. Maximum hydro and nuclear power

potential should be tapped. The most significant aspect, however would

be that

the power generated through renewable energy technologies may target

20 to 25%

against the present 5%. It would be evident that for true Energy

Independence, a

major shift in the structure of energy sources from fossil to

renewable energy

sources is mandated.

 

[Chart: Energy Structure in Power Generation (2005)]

 

Solar farms

 

Solar energy in particular requires unique, massive applications in the

agricultural sector, where farmers need electricity exclusively in the

daytime.

This could be the primary demand driver for solar energy. Our farmers

demand for

electric power today is significantly high to make solar energy

economical in

large scale.

 

Shortages of water, both for drinking and farming operations, can be

met by

large scale seawater desalination and pumping inland using solar energy,

supplemented by bio-fuels wherever necessary.

 

[Chart: Space & Nano Technologies for Energy]

 

The current high capital costs of solar power stations can be reduced by

grid-locked 100 MW sized Very Large Scale Solar Photovoltaic (VLSPV)

or Solar

Thermal Power Stations. In the very near future, breakthroughs in

nanotechnologies promise significant increase in solar cell

efficiencies from

current 15% values to over 50% levels. These would in turn reduce the

cost of

solar energy production. Our science laboratories should mount a R & D

Programme

for developing high efficiency CNT based Photo Voltaic Cells.

 

We thus need to embark on a major national programme in solar energy

systems and

technologies, for both large, centralized applications as well as small,

decentralized requirements concurrently, for applications in both

rural and

urban areas.

 

Nuclear Energy

 

Nuclear power generation has been given a thrust by the use of uranium

based

fuel. However there would be a requirement for a ten fold increase in

nuclear

power generation even to attain a reasonable degree of energy self

sufficiency

for our country. Therefore it is essential to pursue the development

of nuclear

power using Thorium, reserves of which are higher in the country.

Technology

development has to be accelerated for Thorium based reactors since the raw

material for Thorium is abundantly available in our country. Also, Nuclear

Fusion research needs to be progressed with international cooperation

to keep

that option for meeting the large power requirement, at a time when

fossil fuels

get depleted.

 

Power through Municipal Waste

 

In the Power generation Sector of the energy economy, we need to fully

use the

technologies now available for generating power from municipal waste.

Today, two

plants are operational in India, each plant generating 6.5 MW of

electric power.

Studies indicate that as much as 5800 MW of power can be generated by

setting up

900 electric power plants spread over in different parts of the

country which

can be fueled by municipal waste. The electric power generation and

creation of

clean environment are the twin advantages.

 

[Chart: Power through Municipal Waste]

 

Power System Loss Reduction:

 

Apart from generating power and running power stations efficiently without

interruption, it is equally essential to transmit and distribute the

power with

minimum loss. The loss of power in transmission and distribution in

our country

is currently in the region of 30-40% for a variety of reasons. Of

about one

thousand billion units of electrical energy produced annually, only

600 billion

units reach the consumer. This is the result of transmission loss and

unaccounted loss. We need to take urgent action to bring down this

loss to 15%

from 30-40% by close monitoring of the losses, improving efficiency, and

increasing the power factor through modern technology. By this one

action alone

we will be able to avoid the need for additional investment of around

Rs. 70,000

crores for establishing additional generating capacity.

 

Transportation Sector

 

The Transportation Sector is the fastest growing energy consumer. It now

consumes nearly 112 million tonnes of oil annually, and is critically

important

our nation's economy and security. The complete substitution of oil

imports for

the Transportation Sectors is the biggest and toughest challenge for

India.

 

Use of biofuels:

 

We have nearly 60 million hectares of wasteland, of which 30 million

hectares

are available for energy plantations like " Jatropha " . Once grown, the

crop has a

life of 50 years. Each acre will produce about 2 tonnes of bio-diesel

at about

Rs. 20 per litre. Biodiesel is carbon neutral and many valuable

by-products flow

from this agro-industry. Intensive research is needed to burn bio-fuel in

internal combustion engines with high efficiency, and this needs to be

a urgent

R & D programme. India has a potential to

 

[Chart: Biodiesel - Jatropha]

 

produce nearly 60 million tones of bio-fuel annually, thus making a

significant

and important contribution to the goal of Energy Independence. Indian

Railways

has already taken a significant step of running two passenger locomotives

(Thanjavur to Nagore section) and six trains of diesel multiple units

(Tiruchirapalli to Lalgudi, Dindigul and Karur sections) with a 5%

blend of

bio-fuel sourced from its in-house esterification plants. In addition,

they have

planted 75 lakh Jatropha saplings in Railway land which is expected to

give

yields from the current year onwards. This is a pioneering example for

many

other organisations to follow. Similarly many States in our country

have energy

plantations. What is needed is a full economic chain from farming,

harvesting,

extraction to esterification, blending and marketing. Apart from

employment

generation, bio-fuel has a significant potential to lead our country

towards

energy independence.

 

The other critical options are development of electric vehicles;

hydrogen based

vehicles, electrification of Railways and urban mass transportation.

 

[Chart: Hydrogen Vehicles - Hydrogen BUS]

 

Conclusion

 

By 2020 the nation should achieve comprehensive energy security through

enhancement of our oil and gas exploration and production worldwide.

By the year

2030, India should achieve energy independence through solar power and

other

forms of renewable energy; maximize the utilization of hydro and

nuclear power

and enhance the bio-fuel production through large scale energy

plantations like

Jatropha.

 

We need to evolve a comprehensive renewable energy policy for energy

independence within a year. This should address all issues relating to

generation of energy through wind, solar, geothermal, bio-mass and

ocean. The

nation should also work towards establishment of thorium based reactors.

Research and technology development of Thorium based reactors is one

of the

immediate requirements for realizing self-reliance in nuclear power

generation

and long term energy security for the nation.

 

We should operationalize a 500 MW capacity power plant using integrated

gasification and combined cycle route within the next three years from the

existing pilot plant stage.

 

Bio-fuel research should be extended in collaboration with R & D

Laboratories,

academic institutions and automobile industry to make it a ýfull

fledged fuelý

for the fleet running in the country in a time bound manner. This

should lead to

a mission mode integrated programme encompassing various ministries and

industries. Also there is a need to formulate a comprehensive Bio-Fuel

policy

from research, development, production to marketing.

 

Energy security leading to Energy independence is certainly possible

and is

within the capability of the nation. India has knowledge, natural

resources;

what we need is planned integrated missions to achieve the target in a

time

bound manner. Let us all work for self-sufficient environment friendly

energy

independence for the nation.

 

JAI HIND.

 

May God Bless you all.

 

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