Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is a ministry of the Government of India that is responsible for developing and deploying new and renewable energy resources in the country. The ministry’s primary objective is to increase the share of clean energy in India’s energy mix and reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels. It aims to achieve this by promoting the use of solar, wind, biomass, small hydro, and other renewable energy sources.
History
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy was established in 1992 as the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources. It was renamed as the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in 2006. Since its inception, the ministry has been working towards the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies in India. In recent years, the ministry has set ambitious targets for renewable energy capacity addition and has launched several initiatives to achieve these targets.
Objectives
The primary objectives of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy are:
- To increase the share of renewable energy in India’s energy mix.
- To reduce India’s dependence on fossil fuels and increase energy security.
- To promote the development and deployment of new and renewable energy technologies.
- To create a conducive environment for the growth of the renewable energy sector in India.
- To promote research and development in renewable energy technologies.
Initiatives and Programmes
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has launched several initiatives and programmes to promote the growth of the renewable energy sector in India. Some of the key initiatives and programmes are:
- National Solar Mission: The National Solar Mission was launched in 2010 with the objective of promoting the development and deployment of solar energy technologies in India. The mission aims to achieve 100 GW of solar power capacity by 2022.
- National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy: The National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy was launched in 2018 to promote the development of wind-solar hybrid projects in India. The policy aims to achieve a wind-solar hybrid capacity of 10 GW by 2022.
- PM-KUSUM Scheme: The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) Scheme was launched in 2019 to promote the use of solar energy in the agriculture sector. The scheme aims to install 25,750 MW of solar capacity by 2022.
- National Biofuels Policy: The National Biofuels Policy was launched in 2018 to promote the use of biofuels in India. The policy aims to achieve a 20% blending of ethanol in petrol and 5% blending of biodiesel in diesel by 2030.
- Atal Jyoti Yojana: The Atal Jyoti Yojana was launched in 2018 to promote the use of solar street lights in rural and semi-urban areas. The scheme aims to install 3,00,000 solar street lights across the country.
Renewable Energy Capacity
India has made significant progress in the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies in recent years. As of March 2021, India’s total installed renewable energy capacity stood at 94.43 GW, which includes:
- 09 GW of solar power
- 79 GW of wind power
- 31 GW of bio-power
- 76 GW of small hydro power
- 48 GW of waste-to-energy
India has set a target of achieving 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, which includes 100 GW of solar power, 60 GW of wind power, 10 GW of bio-power, and 5 GW of small hydro power. The country is also aiming to achieve 450 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has played a crucial role in promoting the growth of the renewable energy sector in India. Through its various initiatives and programmes, the ministry has created a conducive environment for the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies in the country. With the increasing focus on clean energy and the need to combat climate change, the role of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is set to become even more important in the coming years.
