Energy Transition - Climate Trends

Energy efficiency in textile MSMEs

Textiles is one of India’s oldest industries and contributes 2.3% to India’s gross domestic product, 13% to industrial production and 12% to exports. It is also the third largest consumer of energy in India, and is under pressure to optimise production processes to reduce energy use and pollution. This paper analyses the current energy efficiency practices deployed by the MSME textile industry, the government support available to them, and solutions to improve efficiency across the production and supply chain.

Review of the Perform, Achieve and Trade Scheme in India

This paper reviews the Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme, which was launched in March 2012 by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency to promote energy efficiency amongst India’s largest industrial power consumers. This paper analyses the scheme’s performance since its inception, by reviewing the literature available on PAT cycles I and II and its targets for energy conservation across India’s largest power consumers (iron, cement, steel, textiles, petrochemicals, thermal power, railways and hotels), and also outlines recommendations for improvement.

Coal vs Renewables Investment Report

Coal vs Renewables Investment Report findings make it very clear that financial institutions prefer funding renewable energy projects over coal power projects. This report is timely releasing amidst all the geopolitical noise around fossil fuel phase-out at COP28, we think it is useful to highlight the ground reality that Renewable energy is a better choice.

The Tamil Glossary on Climate Change

Climate Trends, in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu government and the Tamil Nadu Governing Council, on April 29 launched the Tamil Glossary on Climate Change. The Tamil Glossary on Climate Change seeks to expand the Tamil vocabulary to include the rapidly changing terms and definitions associated with climate change.

Livelihood opportunities for a Just Transition in Jharkhand

This study is a perception survey among 6,000 respondents covering 4,000 organised workers in the supply side (mining) and thermal power plants, and 2,000 unorganised workers in 5 districts of Jharkhand, as well as 26 policy and sectoral experts working at the national and state level. It aims to capture the perceptions around ‘just’ transition from a supply, demand, and policy perspective, and provides recommendations that will lead to inclusive and sustainable growth for people working in the coal sector.

Coal VS RE: Tracking India's investments in the energy sector

This report shows that for the first time, 100% of the value of the project finance loans identified in 2021 went to renewable energy projects. This is a considerable increase compared to 2020, where renewable energy loans accounted for 74%. Total funding for new energy projects in 2021 is 60% lower compared to 2017 levels. Moreover, when inflation is taken into account, the real value of the amount lended for new energy projects in 2021 even shows a decrease compared to 2020 levels.

Climate Finance for Startups in India

This study looks at the status of the climate tech startup finance ecosystem in India, highlights opportunities and challenges and presents potential solutions to accelerate climate tech finance in the country. The report is aimed at policy makers who want to accelerate climate technology innovation in India; incubators and accelerator programmes who wish to carve out climate specific programmes; impact investors that are looking at investing in the climate tech space; and finally, entrepreneurs who want to address problems in the climate and energy space.

Battery Storage Viability for Tamil Nadu in RE projects

Tamil Nadu has one of the highest renewable energy installations in the country, with 14GW installed capacity (including solar, wind and biomass). RE meest 15% of the states power demand. However, the estimated solar and wind power potential in the state is 51GW, which it does not entirely capitalise for fears of grid imbalancing and frequent fluctuations. This analysis highlights the potential of energy storage systems to address challenges of grid instability and ability to meet electricity demand. Through detailed modeling of a hypothetical RE+lithium ion based battery energy storage system, this analysis shows that by 2030, the system’s LCOE would be Rs 3.4/kWh and would meet 26% of the state’s power demand.

Indian Railways Net Zero Commitment is Key to India's Decarbonisation

In 2018, the government approved plans for 100% electrification of railways by 2023. In July 2020, IR stepped up its target to net-zero emissions by 2030. Achieving this target could lead to an annual emissions reduction of at least 15 million tonnes of CO2, which could help meet 5% of India’s NDC target. This report examines IR’s net-zero plan in detail and presents the results from a groundbreaking study analyzing the total share of IR’s traction load (the power required to move the trains in a railway network) that could be met with direct supply from solar PV arrays located alongside railway lines.

Coal Vs Renewable Energy | Financial Analysis 2021

At COP26, India announced its objectives to reach net zero by 2070. In addition, the country aims to install 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030, 450 GW of which would come from renewable energy sources. India has set an ambitious renewable energy capacity target. By the end of the decade, India aims to rely on non-fossil fuel sources for close to 60% of its energy needs. Renewable energy installations look set to rebound strongly to nearly 12 GW in 2021.1 Even with this bounce back, it seems India will be hard pressed to hit its 175 GW target. However, despite its renewable efforts, India continues to bring online significant coal capacity. About 34 GW of coal is currently under construction, and the country has about 21 GW in its pre-construction pipeline (6% of the global pipeline). Worryingly, the stranded risk of these assets is significant. As the growth in India’s energy demand slows, and the number of renewable energy installations rises, the utilisation rate of coal plants will continue to decline. As such, their economics will deteriorate further. Increasingly, renewable energy will not only capture demand growth in India, but will replace installed thermal capacity.

Building Blocks of India's Energy Future - North India's Energy Transition based on Renewables (Sep 2020)

This research study by LUT University and Climate Trends is a first of its kind regional analysis of cost optimal energy transition pathway towards 100% renewables across the power, heat, transport and desalination sectors of North India. The study was undertaken before the pandemic but has become even more relevant considering the global call for green recovery. The study provides a long-term strategy for developing an economically viable integrated energy system enabling emissions reduction that will not only help with India’s climate commitments but also provide co-benefits of cleaner air and create millions of more jobs.

Indian Companies with a total net worth of US$ 87 billion have committed to climate actions (September 2019)

This paper captures the India Inc’s story of ‘growth decoupled from emissions’ listing companies having net worth of US$ 87 billion from diverse sectors such as transport, cement, steel, power, chemicals, consumer goods, IT, communications, banking and agro-products who have committed to climate actions such as Science Based Targets, 100% RE, carbon neutrality, no more coal, new electric vehicle models, ceasing diesel cars, et al.

India's Solar and Wind Can Pave Over China's Coal Belt & Road in Asia (June 2019)

BIMSTEC nations’ heads of government had visited India to attend the ceremony of new government being formed in 2019. At the time, this paper was released to build a case for regional coordination on RE’s potential for cross-border electricity trade such as to avoid further damage from fossil and large hydro electricity projects in India’s neighborhood.

Coal Vs Renewable Energy Financial Analysis (November 2020)

The third annual Coal vs Renewable energy financial analysis report reveals second consecutive year on year decline in project finance to coal projects. Released in partnership with Centre for Financial Accountability, the report reviews coal and renewable energy project that reached a financial close between 1 Jan 2019 – 31st December 2019.

Analysis - India and no new coal

India reaches halfway mark towards no new coal policy

New analysis finds that states and companies operating 50% of India’s power capacity are now committed to not building new coal