Fastest, cheapest and the most eco-friendly Energy Transition Pathways to Achieve Net Zero in India

Fundamental of Energy Transition

✨All kind of energies on earth be it coal, oil, gas, solar, wind, biomass, ocean thermal etc. are a form of solar energy. 

✨Coal, oil and gas are carbon sequestered by nature under earth crust. It's finite source and increases CO2 level upon combustion.

✨Whereas solar, wind, biomass, ocean thermal etc. are kept on getting replenish which makes them infinite renewable source of energy. 

✨ Essenes of energy transition is to switch from finite source of energy (fossil) to infinite source of energy ( Sun). 

Fastest, cheapest and the most eco-friendly way to achieve net zero in India

✨It is worth mentioning that solar and wind, even if combined with storage, is not able to meet the peak demand in each and every season until we employ seasonal energy storage. Seasonal energy storage is very costly alternative. Therefore, there is always a need for carbon neutral dispatchable base load power at competitive cost along with solar, wind and storage.

✨Biomass is nothing but cheapest kind of round the clock solar energy in chemical storage form. This avoids the need of storage and can replace fossil fuel in our existing coal plant.

✨If biomass is obtained from sustainable way like agriculture or agro forestry and CO2 emitted from its combustion remains in cycle, then it become carbon neutral and comes under renewable. 

✨Agro residue has high alkali and chloride, so not suitable for boiler beyond 10-20% but wood pellet obtained from agro forestry can replace 100% coal of existing coal plants.

✨India has 394 million acres arable land where farming is being done. 

✨If 10% of this land (i.e 39.4 million acre) can be devoted for Agroforestry on lease agreement through coal mining companies while allowing farmers to use land for intercropping, it will produce sufficient wood to manufacture almost 750 million metric tons of wood pellet annually without affecting food production substantially. 

✨This land is just 2-3 times for producing same amount of energy that solar PV can do, but here we are getting oxygen as well as food production through intercropping which is not case in solar PV.

✨Agro forestry for green coal production can be done in entire Indian States. In North belt, poplar and in South, Subabul are popular variety. 

✨Every four five years, per acre yield happens in range of 100-125 ton. So, 5 such patches each of 1 acre will be needed on rotation to get 100-125 ton yields annually.

✨ Hence annually we will get 100-125 ton using 5 acre land, i.e. yield is 20-25 tones per acre annually. 

✨GCV of wood pellet lies in range of 4000-4500 kcal/kg, similar to coal. All India annual coal consumption in power sector is almost 650-680 million tones. Same amount of wood pellet we may produce using land as said above.

Benefits 

✨Land will belong to farmer. No need of CSR or R&R as we do in mining. 

✨It will give farmers opportunity to earn extra money while using same land for inter cropping. Mining companies can gradually transition from fossil fuels to green fuels and employment shall not be affected . Biomass sector is more labor intensive, so it will also create additional jobs.

✨If it is done by a PSU like Coal India, it may easily produce pellet at cost of Rs.5000 per tone. Include Rs 500-1000 per tone for transportation by rail.

✨Cost may be almost double than average coal price. Electricity may become costly by almost 1.7-2 rupees on an average. But note that it will be round the clock RE power and dispatchable one. 

✨No RTC RE power except hydro is that much cheap in today's scenario neither it will be.

✨ Agroforestry attracts rainfall, increases land fertility, gives oxygen, cools environment. It makes flow of economy towards rural India and helps alleviating the gap between rich and poor which is one of the sustainable development goal.

✨In addition to this, there are verities of biomass which can even be grown on waste land. India has 30% waste land , so ample scope is there too. 

Challenge in coal to biomass conversion

There is saying that scientist developed fountain pen to work in space then someone pointed out why can't we use pencil. Situation is hear like that only.

Now question is that if it is so easy then why no one is talking about it? 

The answer lies in the fact that who will get benefitted from it? Here flow of economy would be towards the rural India and it is the cheapest option. If this can be done so easily, quickly, cheaply to achieve net zero what will happen to those who are dreaming to get a bigger chunk in net zero economy. So it's all about conflict of interest.

Even if it is started, it can meet with high degree of sponsored activism. Such things are already happening in various parts of world, which is the biggest challenge. 

It is relevant to quote here that in name of green revolution, world has already suffered much with menace of chemical fertilizer and pesticide despite natural farming method was the most sustainable and economical method. It was the propaganda with which industries managed to make their place in market but getting exposed now after decades. So similar thing must not happen in a net zero economy and all technologies must be evaluated fundamentally instead of getting misled by the propaganda.

Here the role of Govt and PSUs starts as they are supposed to find a solution which is in interest of Nation.

India has agro forestry legal framework in place. A notification for green fuel production to replace coal is required to be in place which may be done through appropriate policy advocacy.

Way forward

India must demonstrate a pilot project of 100% coal to biomass conversion with a sustainable model of agro-forestry to get round the year pellet supply while managing activism at the same time. Large scale awareness program is the key to shatter any kind of propaganda by sponsored activists.