By Radhika Nagrath
India has a renewable energy (RE) potential of over 24,000 GW, but even reaching the ~7,000 GW required to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 will require a holistic approach to addressing challenges such as land access, climate risks, land conflicts, and population density, according to a new independent study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), entitled ‘Unlocking India’s RE and Green Hydrogen Potential: An Assessment of Land, Water, and Climate Nexus’. However, with India’s current installed RE capacity of 150 GW, and up to 1,500 GW, the constraints are relatively manageable.
Renewable energy, including solar, wind, and green hydrogen, is crucial to realise India’s climate goals, but scaling up these technologies will require strategic land use, improved water management, and resilient power grid infrastructure.
The study finds that population density and land are major restrictors of India’s RE potential realisation. Earthquakes are less of a concern. States with high unconstrained RE potential such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and regions such as Ladakh. Rajasthan (6,464 GW), Madhya Pradesh (2,978 GW), Maharashtra (2,409 GW) and Ladakh (625 GW) have significant low-cost solar potential, while Karnataka (293 GW), Gujarat (212 GW), and Maharashtra (184 GW) offer considerable wind potential.
Odisha and Madhya Pradesh could emerge as key players in meeting India’s renewable energy ambitions in the coming decades.
Green hydrogen could also become very important to India’s clean energy transition. Low-cost green hydrogen could be produced in western and southern India, with Gujarat leading the production with an estimated potential of 8.8 MTPA at less than USD 3.5/kg, followed by Karnataka and Maharashtra with 5 MTPA each.
Hemant Mallya, Fellow, CEEW, said, “Land and water are critical resources for scaling up RE and green hydrogen in India. Prevention of desertification and innovative solutions to address land availability, such as agro-voltaics in horticulture and rooftop solar in dense Indian cities, will be essential. Involving all stakeholders in the early stage of renewable project development and addressing climate risks will help ensure projects are commercially viable in the long run.”
(Experts from his biography written by Soma Nair)
