India on track to achieve 50 pc renewable energy milestone of 472 GW by 2025 end: Khattar

New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) India is on track to achieve 50 per cent renewable energy milestone of 472 gigawatt (GW) by the end of this year, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said here on Wednesday.

Addressing the ‘India Energy Storage Week (IESW) 2025’ here, the minister said India has made significant strides in its energy generation efforts.

“Currently, we have reached almost 50 per cent of our total generation capacity of 472 gigawatts, and by the end of this year, India is on track to achieve the 50 per cent renewable energy milestone of 472 gigawatt. However, to stabilise our grid, optimise power generation, and ensure 24/7 reliable clean energy, establishing an energy storage system is essential to meet our targets,” said the minister.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates, the world will need to increase its energy storage capacity six-fold by 2030 to achieve these goals.

“Our target is ambitious, and we must focus on enhancing energy storage capabilities. In the past three to four years, the cost of energy storage has significantly decreased. What was once Rs 10 lakh per megawatt has now fallen to Rs 2.5 lakh per megawatt per month, indicating a reduction to one-fourth of the original cost,” said Manohar Lal.

As industries like steel and cement shift towards green hydrogen, India is pushing for energy independence to reduce oil dependency.

“With a green hydrogen mission backed by Rs 19,744 crore, the country seeks to produce 10 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen and establish an electrolyser capacity of 60 to 100 gigawatts. This initiative highlights India’s determination to lead in next-generation fuel production”, he added.

Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairperson of the Central Electricity Authority, emphasised, “We currently have approximately 3,300 MW of capacity in the pipeline, which is expected to culminate in 8,500 megawatt-hours (MWh) over the next two years."

“Moreover, we have around 12,500 MW equating to roughly 42,000 MWh under tender. However, the country's current Battery Energy Storage System capacity looks very meagre standing at around 205 MW or about 506 MWh. I am sharing these numbers because starting from 2026-2027, we will need to increase our capacities steadily to reach around 74 gigawatts by 2031-32,” Prasad added.

--IANS

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