RE integrated grid systems will lead us to energy independence.

 This feature highlights the critical factors of grid integration and energy transition.
The modernisation of the energy sector began in 1992; later, with the opening of the economy in 2000, the Electricity Act 2003 and the Energy Conservation Act 2001 were announced. This was the phase where renewables started coming into the picture in the 1980s and 1990s.
Announcements concerning climate mitigation, the National Climate Change National Program in the PCC Action Plan on Climate Change in 2008, and the Solar Mission in 2010. Thus, over the 75 years after independence, all of these different eras of the development of the energy sector or electricity industry can be identified.
According to statements made in Glasgow, we will reach 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030. According to the information provided, our total installed capacity will be around 1000 GW, making it one of the largest grids in the world. Our current installed capacity is approximately 410 gigawatts. We have about 175 GW of renewable energy, including large hydro and a tiny percentage of nuclear, but 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy. It will generate roughly 500 gigawatts of renewable energy, accounting for about 50% of our energy needs through 2030.
Our renewable energy capacity will continue to grow, and we intend to cut our economy’s carbon intensity by 45%, as measured by the primary GDP. The current carbon intensity will be lowered by 45% by 2030. By 2070, we aim to achieve net zero. So a significant portion of our energy needs will be met by renewable sources.
India’s driver for the energy transition
While discussing the drivers for the energy transition in India, ShirishGarud, Director of Renewable Energy Technologies at TERI, said, “We need to consider energy independence because whatever happens globally—as you may have noticed, Europe is currently having issues due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and those kinds of energy crises—we don’t want to see in the future for us, which is one of the reasons why we are looking at renewables and then other energy sources.” Our driver for this energy transition is fossil fuel-generated pollution. These are some of the motivations that drive us.
Grid Management
The Indian grid power system is divided into five regional grids for planning and operational purposes. The government connected the southern region to the central grid in a synchronous mode in 2013 while commissioning the right solar power transmission line, achieving one nation, one grid, and one frequency. The Indian government plans to develop 100,000 MW of solar capacity by 2022. The Green Energy Corridor II report details the comprehensive transmission plan for integrating 2,000 MW of solar capacity from 34 solar parks in various states out of a total capacity of 100 MW. This plan comprises an inter-state and intra-state transmission scheme with 7200 ckm transmission lines and 28700 MVA transformation capacity at an estimated cost of 12800 crores.
 RE Integration Issues
Our grid code currently requires us to manage grid frequency between 49.85 and 50.5, and four, as Trump was, must forecast generation from renewable power plants in 15-minute intervals, which is a significant challenge. The main cause of this instability is the intermittent nature of solar and wind power. Of course, integrating storage with renewable energy sources is one of the solutions. However, the cost of storing remains, which is now relatively high compared to the price of producing electricity.
Renewable energy sources cause harmonics, yet grids are not built for two-way power plants. We can instal solar rooftop systems on every home, but the grid is set up so that power comes from centralised power plants, which subtracts from user points. Due to the two-way flow of power caused by the user points also serving as generation sites, the grid may have safety and control concerns.
For more details visit: www.teriin.org
(Excerpts are taken from the submissions during EPR Magazine Power talk on One Nation One Grid)