Hydroelectric Power Runs Out Of Gas: Posts Just One Per Cent Growth Over 2018; Solar, Wind Generation Surges

According to the latest available data, India’s hydro-energy capacity increased by a mere one per cent in 2018 from the year earlier with hydroelectricity’s share in India’s energy mix dropping by more than half in the past decade, from 25 per cent to 13 per cent, reports Economic Times (ET).

Though hydroelectricity is classified as a renewable energy source, the sector is beset with several legacy issues like land acquisition, escalating time and cost overruns and also social and environmental concerns— from the displacement of thousands of people to adverse effects on biodiversity.

Many a times large hydro-power projects have long gestation periods, running over decades, making it difficult for banks to justify investments in hydro projects.

Though 37 hydel power projects with a capacity of over 12,000 MW are being built across India, 16 of them with a combined capacity of nearly 6,000 MW are stalled for a wide range of reasons.

New Kids On The Block

On the other hand, both the government and the private sector are increasingly adopting other clean energy sources like solar and wind to reduced India’s dependence on fossil fuels.

According to a new report, India is expected to add 15,860 MW of renewable energy capacity in the current year (2019), up fifty per cent from last year. Most of this capacity addition will come from solar energy.

Also in 2018, for the first time, renewable power units (solar and wind energy plants) accounted for more than ten per cent of India’s total energy production.

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