Berkeley Lab study highlights the role of clean technology and India’s renewable and lithium edge in achieving cost-effective energy independence by 2047.
India is on track to achieving its vision of energy independence by 2047, thanks to a recent study titled “Pathways to Atmanirbhar Bharat“, released by the U.S. Department of Energy’s prestigious Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This comprehensive report outlines a clear roadmap towards a greener and more sustainable future for India, highlighting the country’s vast potential for renewable energy sources. With a strategic focus on investing in clean energy infrastructure and policies that promote self-reliance, India can break free from its dependence on imported fuel and transform its energy landscape. The report offers valuable insights and recommendations for policymakers, investors, and industry leaders to work together towards achieving energy independence by 2047. This milestone achievement will strengthen India’s energy security and promote economic growth, job creation, and environmental sustainability.
Empowering the future: Energy benefits of achieving energy independence
The study revealed that focusing on India’s three most energy-intensive sectors (power, transport, and industry) could lead to significant economic, environmental, and energy benefits, such as reducing fossil fuel import expenditure by 90% or $240 billion per year by 2047, generating $2.5 trillion in consumer savings through 2047, and bolstering India’s industrial competitiveness on the global stage. Achieving energy independence could also help India meet its net-zero commitment ahead of schedule.
“India’s energy infrastructure requires a $3 trillion investment in the coming decades, and our study finds that prioritizing new energy assets that are cost-effective and clean is crucial for long-term financial sustainability.” – Amol Phadke, Berkeley Lab staff scientist
India’s energy demand to quadruple in the coming decades
India’s energy consumption is rapidly increasing due to its economic growth, making it the third largest energy consumer globally. Unfortunately, India must import 90% of its oil, 80% of its industrial coal, and 40% of the natural gas it consumes. This dependence on global energy markets has led to price and supply volatility, which strains India’s foreign exchange reserves, contributing to inflation.
“The case for clean energy has never been stronger. India has achieved the world’s lowest renewable energy prices and has found some of the world’s largest lithium reserves,” said Nikit Abhyankar, Berkeley Lab scientist and the lead author of the study. “This can propel India towards cost-effective energy independence in a way that is economically and environmentally advantageous.”
Domestic lithium reserves and clean technology transition
As outlined by the study, India’s energy independence plan requires the power sector to install more than 500 GW of non-fossil electricity generation capacity by 2030. This goal has already been announced by the government. The next steps would be to achieve an 80% clean grid by 2040 and 90% by 2047. In addition, the country aims to have almost all new vehicle sales be electric by 2035 and to transition heavy industrial production to green hydrogen and electrification, with targets of 90% of iron and steel, 90% of cement, and 100% of fertilizers by 2047.
With an estimated 2 million tons of lithium required for the production of electric vehicles and grid-scale battery storage systems by 2040, India’s newly discovered lithium reserves offer a domestic solution to meet the demand. However, to comply with the global push towards clean energy, India must adopt clean technologies, such as electric vehicles and green steel manufacturing, to transition its industry. This is particularly important given that India is a leading auto and steel exporter, with its largest markets in EU countries committed to carbon neutrality and the potential imposition of a carbon border adjustment tariff.
“India’s energy infrastructure requires a $3 trillion investment in the coming decades, and our study finds that prioritizing new energy assets that are cost-effective and clean is crucial for long-term financial sustainability,” said Amol Phadke, Berkeley Lab scientist and a co-author. “India can leverage the existing policy framework it has laid out to expand the clean energy deployment.”
Study reveals India’s unique edge in the global clean energy market
The research shows that India can take a significant leap towards a sustainable energy future as most of its energy infrastructure is yet to be established. With its expanding energy requirements, India has a fifteen-year window to convert its existing fossil energy assets into clean energy, making the transition inclusive by involving the impacted communities. The successful transition towards clean energy would necessitate robust policy backing, such as enforcing deployment mandates for clean technologies, providing financial and policy support for emerging technologies like green hydrogen, and investing in domestic manufacturing capabilities.
“We find that India will embark on an ambitious energy transition in the coming decades,” said Priyanka Mohanty, a co-author and researcher at Berkeley Lab. “However, the transition runway provides time to strategically deploy clean technologies at scale and plan for a just transition.”
Reference: Pathways to Atmanirbhar Bharat: Harnessing India’s Renewable Edge for Cost-Effective Energy Independence by 2047 and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Founded in 1931 with the belief that the biggest scientific challenges are best addressed by teams, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and its scientists have been recognized with 16 Nobel Prizes. Today, Berkeley Lab researchers develop sustainable energy and environmental solutions, create useful new materials, advance the frontiers of computing, and probe the mysteries of life, matter, and the universe. Scientists worldwide rely on the Lab’s facilities for their discovery science. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
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