India "addicted" to coal is making a difficult energy transition

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India is the fifth largest producer of solar energy in the world. (Photo: A farmer surrounded by solar panels in the village of Vahelal, India on February 3, 2021) AFP - SAM PANTHAKY

By: Sébastien Farcis Follow

1 min

India, the second largest producer and consumer of coal in the world, is slowly trying to reduce its dependence on this polluting energy to turn to solar. 

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The last few days have proven it: the current economic recovery has caused electricity consumption to explode and coal stocks have melted, especially since the delivery of this precious fuel has been slowed down by exceptional rains, and the increase in coal prices on the international market slowed down purchases.

Thus, last Friday, half of the Indian power stations had only three days of reserves, a critical situation for this country, of which two thirds of electricity is produced thanks to coal.

Eleven of the twelve most polluted cities in the world are in India

This source of energy is very polluting: many Indian power stations, dilapidated, emit up to twice as much carbon dioxide as European ones.

Coal production is therefore responsible for a third of India's greenhouse gas emissions, and 2.5% of global emissions.

It also contributes to air pollution records: according to the WHO, eleven of the twelve cities most polluted in the world with fine particles are located in northern India, an embedded region where this dust is stagnant.

From Srinagar to Benares via New Delhi, hundreds of millions of people are slowly poisoning themselves.

India is making a major shift to solar

Photovoltaic production capacities have increased sixfold in five years and now represent 12% of Indian capacities.

India is now the 5th largest producer of solar energy in the world.

Thanks to this breakthrough, the country should meet its objective set at the COP21 in Paris so that by 2030, 40% of its electricity production capacities depend on renewable and nuclear energies.     

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