Abstract: - Energy has become need for everyone in current dynamic environment. Every country is trying to exploit different source of energy to meet their daily requirements and India is one of these country. India has shifted its focus from the source of non renewable energy, which is depleting at higher rate, to renewable source of energy. It is trying to strike a balance between both sources of energy. This paper will address strategy adopted by Indian government for energy security.
1 Introduction
India is one of the fastest developing countries of the world and its GDP is more than $1 trillion. It needs to sustain 8-10% economic growth rate to remove poverty and meet its economic as well human development goals. It creates a huge demand of energy right from the households need to industrial need but the supply is less. In order to balance the supply and demand, government has taken some of major steps. These steps will not only be able to meet demand but also produce safe, clean and convenient energy at least cost. The availability of non renewable energy sources is limited and may not be adequate in the long term to maintain the growth rate. The focus should also to increase the efficiency of current power plant running across country as well as to look out for stakes in overseas energy assets. Another vital aspect is to provide clean and convenient energy for social & environment welfare at the cheapest cost so that even poor can get access to it. Assured supply of such energy and technologies at all times by taking into account, the shocks and disturbance is vital to provide energy security to all.
2 SOURCE OF ENERGY
Till date, India power generation is from different primary sources. These sources are
Coal
Oil
Hydro
Natural gas
Nuclear
The major contribution of primary energy source comes from coal which is followed by oil and natural gas (about 96.5%). These fossil fuel are not only exhaustible energy source but also harmful to environment. Nuclear energy production produces lot of harmful radiations which affect the living being and ozone layer. Hydro power plants are renewable source of energy but dependency on this source is limited to 2.5% (approx.).
There is some alternate source of energy like wind and solar has drawn attention of the government to meet its energy needs. These alternative sources hold huge potential especially in India where it is still in infancy stage of exploitation.
3 STRATEGY PLAN
The energy need of India is growing fast and competition to meet the needs with rest of the world is on rise. The vision of attending energy security in future depends on the strategy adopted by government of India. It requires hunting for all available fuel options and forms of energy, both renewable and non renewable, as well as new and budding technologies and energy sources.
3.1 Strategy for oil and natural gas
The percentage share of commercial primary energy resources of oil and natural gas account about 36% and 9% respectively. As per estimate by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), the share of oil and natural gas will be 22.71% and 23.86% in 2031-32. To meet the requirements India needs to diversify its acquisition resources. India’s energy strategies for oil and natural gas incorporate: acquiring upstream assets, pursuing transactional pipeline routes, securing oil navigation sea routes, expanding supply agreements, accessing new technologies and sheltering foreign investments. In order to implement these strategies successfully India would require close collaboration with energy rich countries along with many energy importing economies.
According to estimates, India may need to double its oil requirements in the next 20 years so it is important to increase its current capacity. Besides other pipeline routes, Turkmenistan- Afghanistan- Pakistan [TAP] pipeline project and Iran- Pakistan- India pipeline projects plays a vital role for Indian Energy Security.
As a part of exploration program of oil and natural gas India has identified different zone known as NELP. In these zone companies are allowed to bid and the winner can exploit for oil and gas available there. Even the recent discovery of fossil fuel by Reliance and Crains Energy is not sufficient to meet its need so bilateral agreement with other countries will play pivotal role to meet the demand.
3.2 Strategy for coal
Coal is the most important source of fuelling the power plant in India. It accounts for around 50% of the total commercial primary energy produce in India. The high depletion rate of coal is basically due to large dependency on coal for household consumption and other industrial sectors.
India strategies to have coal as energy security incorporate: expanding bilateral supply contracts, improving the raw material quality and processing as well as exploring new sites. India has signed different agreement with the African and Asian countries that holds large deposit of unexploited coal. The main purpose of signing these agreements is to procure more amount of coal from other countries and thereby save our own coal reserves. The quality of coal used by power plant is poor, hence their efficiency is poor. India is trying to improve the quality of coal by processing the poor quality of coal. Processing enriches the different elements present in coal and thus it improves the per unit energy production.
3.3 Strategy for water energy
Hydro is renewable source of energy. The energy produce from it is clean and does not have adverse effect on the environment. Till date the contribution of hydro as commercial primary source is about 2.14%. It is estimated that by 2030 the contribution will increase to 2.36%. In order to increase the contribution of this clean and eco friendly source of energy India has designed a proper strategy.
India is a country of different rivers but still some river face shortage of water during needy season. To short out this problem, India government has launched program of linking all the rivers of the country by constructing dam across them. The government has planned to set up hydro power plant near the newly constructed major dams. Apart from new construction government is investing more amount of money to increase the capacity of existing plant by borrowing new technology from other countries.
3.4 Strategy for nuclear energy
Nuclear energy is another form of energy which is able to contribute about 1.5% of the total energy production in India. India has abundant amount of uranium which is raw material for the production of energy. But it lacks the technology to enrich uranium fuel rod.
In order to meet future needs for enriched uranium, India signed popular “123 Agreement†with America in 2008. Along with this agreement the banned for importing enriched uranium from other countries was lifted. India is now cash cowing from this agreement. It has started building civil nuclear plant to harness maximum benefit. India is also procuring uranium enriching technology from other capable countries as well as has set up research and development laboratory in collaboration with other country. India has started stockpile of nuclear fuel in order to counter the risk of interruption of international fuel supply.
3.5 Strategy for wind and solar energy
Wind and sun are clean and environmental friendly source of renewable energy. India has huge potential to harness these energy sources but their full potential has not been exploited. In order to attract private companies to make significant investment in these sources of energy generation, Indian government is providing subsidies and tax benefits. Government is also going for bilateral agreement.
To exploit the wind as source of energy NHPC is working with state government to set wind power plant. For solar power government launched Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission that aims at installing extra 20000 MW of power by 2020. It also aims at making country global hub for solar energy power with solar science, engineering, R&D etc. to make huge business out of it.
3.6 Strategy for new and budding technologies
The new emerging trends like biogas, bio-diesel, ethanol, wood gasifier and clean coal are now being promoted by Indian government. These can meet at least household needs and to a little extend industry needs. To promote usage of biogas in manufacturing firm especially food and textile sector government has made stringent effluent discharge code. Based on these codes, firm has to treat the effluent before discharge. During treatment some amount of biogas, ethanol are produced which are used to meet some of their firm energy needs. For other emerging technologies government is dependent on foreign help.
4 BENEFITS FROM STRATEGY
Ensuring energy security
Substituting imported fuel with alternatives
Widening the domestic energy resource base
Stockpile to meet disruption in supply
Increase in investment
Increase in employment
Improvement in technology
5 Conclusions
If the strategies work out then it will go a long way in solving the energy hunger of the country. According to experts of the area it is the correct time in recent years to put up our strategic reserves, boost inventories, develop long terms relation for continuous supply and gain upper hand in foreign fossil fuel assets and taking advantage of recession recovery condition to get the things at low price before market reaches at peak again. To attain energy security India requires combined efforts from both the domestic front and its overseas ventures. Apart from that increase in transparency, expectedness and stability of energy markets, improvement in the investment environment, enhancement of energy efficiency and saving, diversification of resources, improved discovery of domestic fossil fuel reserves, accelerated pace of inexhaustible energy and nuclear energy operation, secured critical infrastructure, reduced energy poverty are important domestic measures for attending energy security. Others like addressing climate change and prolong development also holds key to success.
