India Prez Promotes Alternative Energy

[Guest guest]

ADDRESS TO THE NATION ON THE EVE OF THE 59TH INDEPENDENCE DAY-2005

 

http://presidentofindia.nic.in/scripts/independencedetail.jsp?id=6

Energy Independence

English Below My Dear Citizens of India, On the eve of the 59th Independence

Day, I extend to you my best wishes for your happiness and prosperity. My

greetings to all our people at home and abroad. Let us resolve, on this

occasion, to remember with gratitude, the selfless and devoted services of our

Armed Forces who are guarding our frontiers on the land, over the sea, and in

the air. We are also grateful to the Paramilitary and Police Forces for

preserving our internal security and maintaining law and order.I met 137

freedom fighters from 27 States and Union Territories on 9th August 2005 at

Rashtrapati Bhavan. I saw their enthusiasm even at their ripe age, to bring

back the nationalism as a living movement. Today our country is free, because

the freedom fighters gave their best to the nation in their prime of youth.

Honouring the freedom

fighters is honouring the independent nation and its spirit of nationalism. We

must thank them with respect and make their lives happy.

Nature's Fury and its Management

While we are celebrating 59th anniversary of our hard earned political

independence, we have to remember the sufferings of our people affected by the

recent rain and flood in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal

Pradesh, Karnataka and Orissa. The city of Mumbai and other areas in

Maharashtra bore the brunt of nature's fury. The people of these areas are

meeting the challenge with courage and fortitude. The Prime Minister had

visited some of the affected areas. I spoke to the Chief Minister of

Maharashtra while he was visiting various places affected by the floods and I

also shared my concern with other Chief Ministers. Maharashtra needs help at

this critical juncture to mitigate the sufferings arising out of loss of life

and properties inflicted by the fury of rain and flood. All the States need to

express their solidarity with the people of Maharashtra in their time of

distress and suffering, and collectively help in removing the pain of the

people. Mumbai

needs an urgent reconstruction to face unexpected heavy rain, as it happened this year.

Rainfall and Floods: Rainfall and floods are annual features in many parts of

the country. Instead of thinking on interlinking of rivers only at times of

flood and drought, it is time that we implement this programme with a great

sense of urgency. We need to make an effort to overcome various hurdles in our

way to the implementation of this major project. I feel that it has the promise

of freeing the country from the endless cycle of floods and droughts. Also, as a

measure for preventing flooding of the streets in the cities due to heavy

sustained downpour, I would suggest the Ministry of Urban Development at the

Centre and the State governments to mount a programme to rebuild and modernize

the infrastructure and storm-water drainage systems including construction of

under ground water silos to store the excess water. This water can be treated,

processed and used at the time of shortage as practiced in many other

countries. Fortunately India has adequate

technology and expertise in making underground tunnels for metro rail system.

This technology can be used for constructing underground water storage system.

Earthquake Forecasting: Another natural phenomenon that affects and causes

damages of high magnitude without pre-warning in many parts of our country is

the earthquake. To prevent heavy damage to the people and property, we need to

accelerate research for forecasting earthquakes. Research work on earthquake

forecasting is being done in many countries. We in India should have an

integrated research team consisting of experts drawn from academia, meteorology

and Space Departments for creating earthquake forecast modeling using

pre-earthquake and post-earthquake data collected from various earthquake

occurrences in our country. This can be validated periodically with the proven

forecasting data available from other countries.

Earth Systems Science: Many of the countries in the world have experienced

successive calamities driven by the nature. Till recently, the researchers

world over had been pursuing research in unconnected ways, in Climate,

Earthquake, Ocean Sciences and Earth Sciences, without realizing the latent but

tight coupling between these areas. This new realization has prompted many

countries to pursue the interdisciplinary area of research which is now known

as Earth Systems Science. It is in fact fast emerging as an area of convergence

between Earth, Climate, Ocean, Environment, Instrumentation and Computer

Sciences. I strongly suggest that India should mount a programme in this

emerging area of Earth Systems Science. This will call for a dedicated,

cohesive and seamless integration between researchers in multiple areas and in

multiple organisations. Further, Earth Systems Science doesn't obey political

or geographical borders. It is truly a science and its intensive

results would make our planet safe and prosperous. Unlike research in strategic

areas, wherein the nations have to maintain superiority over other nations,

Earth Systems Science is the ultimate realization of the human kind to

collaborate since no nation is safe if its neighbours are not. Nature's fury

knows no borders. Dear citizens, on 26th January 2005, I have discussed with

you on the potential for employment generation in eight areas. I am happy that

a number of actions are evolving.

Energy Independence

Today on this 59th Independence Day, I would like to discuss with all of you

another important area that is "Energy Security" as a transition to total

"Energy Independence".Energy is the lifeline of modern societies. But today,

India has 17% of the world's population, and just 0.8% of the world's known oil

and natural gas resources. We might expand the use of our coal reserves for some

time and that too at a cost and with environmental challenges. The climate of

the globe as a whole is changing. Our water resources are also diminishing at a

faster rate. As it is said, energy and water demand will soon surely be a

defining characteristic of our people's life in the 21st Century.

Energy Security rests on two principles. The first, to use the least amount of

energy to provide services and cut down energy losses. The second, to secure

access to all sources of energy including coal, oil and gas supplies worldwide,

till the end of the fossil fuel era which is fast approaching. Simultaneously we

should access technologies to provide a diverse supply of reliable, affordable

and environmentally sustainable energy.

As you all know, our annual requirement of oil is 114 million tonnes.

Significant part of this is consumed in the Transportation Sector. We produce

only about 25 % of our total requirement. The presently known resources and

future exploration of oil and gas may give mixed results. The import cost today

of oil and natural gas is over Rs. 120,000 crores. Oil and gas prices are

escalating; the barrel cost of oil has doubled within a year. This situation

has to be combated. Energy Security, which means ensuring that our country can

supply lifeline energy to all its citizens, at affordable costs at all times,

is thus a very important and significant need and is an essential step forward.

But it must be considered as a transition strategy, to enable us to achieve our

real goal that is - Energy Independence or an economy which will function well

with total freedom from oil, gas or coal imports. Is it possible?Hence, Energy

Independence has to be our nation's

first and highest priority. We must be determined to achieve this within the

next 25 years i.e by the year 2030. This one major, 25-year national mission

must be formulated, funds guaranteed, and the leadership entrusted without

delay as public-private partnerships to our younger generation, now in their

30's, as their lifetime mission in a renewed drive for nation-building.

Goals and Policies

Now friends, I would now like to discuss with you some goals, strategies and

policies for a major national mission to attain Energy Independence. Energy

Consumption Pattern in India in 2005: We have to critically look at the need

for Energy Independence in different ways in its two major sectors: Electric

power generation and Transportation. At present, we have an installed capacity

of about

121,000 MW of electricity, which is 3% of world capacity. We also depend on oil

to the extent of 114 million tonnes every year, 75% of which is imported, and

used almost entirely in the Transportation Sector. Forecasts of our Energy

requirements by 2030, when our population may touch 1.4 billion people,

indicate that demand from power sector will increase from the existing 120,000

MW to about 400,000 MW. This assumes an energy growth rate of 5% per annum.

Electric Power Generation Sector: Electric power generation in India now

accesses four basic energy sources: Fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and

coal; Hydroelectricity; Nuclear power; and Renewable energy sources such as

bio-fuels, solar, biomass, wind and ocean.

Fortunately for us, 89% of energy used for power generation today is

indigeneous, from coal (56%), hydroelectricity (25%), nuclear power (3%) and

Renewable (5%). Solar energy segment contributes just 0.2% of our energy

production.

Energy Independence in Electric Power Generation

Thus it would be seen that only 11% of electric power generation is dependent on

oil and natural gas which is mostly imported at enormous cost. Only 1% of oil is

(about 2-3 million tonnes of oil) being used every year for producing

electricity. However, power generation to the extent of 10% is dependent on

high cost gas supplies. We are making efforts to access natural gas from other

countries.

Now I shall discuss another fossil fuel, coal. Even though India has abundant

quantities of coal, it is constrained to regional locations, high ash content,

affecting the thermal efficiency of our power plants, and also there are

environmental concerns. Thus, a movement towards Energy Independence would

demand accelerated work in operationalizing the production of energy from the

coal sector through integrated gasification and combined cycle route. In 2030,

the total energy requirement would be 400,000 MW. At that time, the power

generated from coal-based power plants would increase from the existing 67,000

MW to 200,000 MW. This would demand significant build-up of thermal power

stations and large scale expansion of coal fields.

Changing Structure of Energy Sources:

The strategic goals for Energy Independence by 2030 would thus call for a shift

in the structure of energy sources. Firstly, fossil fuel imports need to be

minimized and secure access to be ensured. Maximum hydro and nuclear power

potential should be tapped. The most significant aspect, however would be that

the power generated through renewable energy technologies may target 20 to 25%

against the present 5%. It would be evident that for true Energy Independence,

a major shift in the structure of energy sources from fossil to renewable

energy sources is mandated.

Solar farms

Solar energy in particular requires unique, massive applications in the

agricultural sector, where farmers need electricity exclusively in the daytime.

This could be the primary demand driver for solar energy. Our farmers demand for

electric power today is significantly high to make solar energy economical in

large scale. Shortages of water, both for drinking and farming operations, can

be met by large scale seawater desalination and pumping inland using solar

energy, supplemented by bio-fuels wherever necessary.

The current high capital costs of solar power stations can be reduced by

grid-locked 100 MW sized Very Large Scale Solar Photovoltaic (VLSPV) or Solar

Thermal Power Stations. In the very near future, breakthroughs in

nanotechnologies promise significant increase in solar cell efficiencies from

current 15% values to over 50% levels. These would in turn reduce the cost of

solar energy production. Our science laboratories should mount a R&D Programme

for developing high efficiency CNT based Photo Voltaic Cells. We thus need to

embark on a major national programme in solar energy systems and technologies,

for both large, centralized applications as well as small, decentralized

requirements concurrently, for applications in both rural and urban areas.

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear power generation has been given a thrust by the use of uranium based

fuel. However there would be a requirement for a ten fold increase in nuclear

power generation even to attain a reasonable degree of energy self sufficiency

for our country. Therefore it is essential to pursue the development of nuclear

power using Thorium, reserves of which are higher in the country. Technology

development has to be accelerated for Thorium based reactors since the raw

material for Thorium is abundantly available in our country. Also, Nuclear

Fusion research needs to be progressed with international cooperation to keep

that option for meeting the large power requirement, at a time when fossil

fuels get depleted.

Power through Municipal Waste

In the Power generation Sector of the energy economy, we need to fully use the

technologies now available for generating power from municipal waste. Today,

two plants are operational in India, each plant generating 6.5 MW of electric

power. Studies indicate that as much as 5800 MW of power can be generated by

setting up 900 electric power plants spread over in different parts of the

country which can be fueled by municipal waste. The electric power generation

and creation of clean environment are the twin advantages.

Power System Loss Reduction:

Apart from generating power and running power stations efficiently without

interruption, it is equally essential to transmit and distribute the power with

minimum loss. The loss of power in transmission and distribution in our country

is currently in the region of 30-40% for a variety of reasons. Of about one

thousand billion units of electrical energy produced annually, only 600 billion

units reach the consumer. This is the result of transmission loss and

unaccounted loss. We need to take urgent action to bring down this loss to 15%

from 30-40% by close monitoring of the losses, improving efficiency, and

increasing the power factor through modern technology. By this one action alone

we will be able to avoid the need for additional investment of around Rs. 70,000

crores for establishing additional generating capacity.

Transportation Sector

The Transportation Sector is the fastest growing energy consumer. It now

consumes nearly 112 million tonnes of oil annually, and is critically important

our nation's economy and security. The complete substitution of oil imports for

the Transportation Sectors is the biggest and toughest challenge for India.

Use of biofuels: We have nearly 60 million hectares of wasteland, of which 30

million hectares are available for energy plantations like "Jatropha". Once

grown, the crop has a life of 50 years. Each acre will produce about 2 tonnes

of bio-diesel at about Rs. 20 per litre. Biodiesel is carbon neutral and many

valuable by-products flow from this agro-industry. Intensive research is needed

to burn bio-fuel in internal combustion engines with high efficiency, and this

needs to be a urgent R&D programme. India has a potential to

produce nearly 60 million tones of bio-fuel annually, thus making a significant

and important contribution to the goal of Energy Independence. Indian Railways

has already taken a significant step of running two passenger locomotives

(Thanjavur to Nagore section) and six trains of diesel multiple units

(Tiruchirapalli to Lalgudi, Dindigul and Karur sections) with a 5% blend of

bio-fuel sourced from its in-house esterification plants. In addition, they

have planted 75 lakh Jatropha saplings in Railway land which is expected to

give yields from the current year onwards. This is a pioneering example for

many other organisations to follow. Similarly many States in our country have

energy plantations. What is needed is a full economic chain from farming,

harvesting, extraction to esterification, blending and marketing. Apart from

employment generation, bio-fuel has a significant potential to lead our country

towards energy independence.

The other critical options are development of electric vehicles; hydrogen based

vehicles, electrification of Railways and urban mass transportation.

Conclusion

By 2020 the nation should achieve comprehensive energy security through

enhancement of our oil and gas exploration and production worldwide. By the

year 2030, India should achieve energy independence through solar power and

other forms of renewable energy; maximize the utilization of hydro and nuclear

power and enhance the bio-fuel production through large scale energy

plantations like Jatropha. We need to evolve a comprehensive renewable energy

policy for energy independence within a year. This should address all issues

relating to generation of energy through wind, solar, geothermal, bio-mass and

ocean. The nation should also work towards establishment of thorium based

reactors. Research and technology development of Thorium based reactors is one

of the immediate requirements for realizing self-reliance in nuclear power

generation and long term energy security for the nation. We should

operationalize a 500 MW capacity power plant using integrated

gasification and combined cycle route within the next three years from the

existing pilot plant stage. Bio-fuel research should be extended in

collaboration with R&D Laboratories, academic institutions and automobile

industry to make it a "full fledged fuel" for the fleet running in the country

in a time bound manner. This should lead to a mission mode integrated programme

encompassing various ministries and industries. Also there is a need to

formulate a comprehensive Bio-Fuel policy from research, development,

production to marketing. Energy security leading to Energy independence is

certainly possible and is within the capability of the nation. India has

knowledge, natural resources; what we need is planned integrated missions to

achieve the target in a time bound manner. Let us all work for self-sufficient

environment friendly energy independence for the nation. JAI HIND.May God Bless

you all.

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