Coal India, NLCIL, SCCL plan to achieve 7,231 MW renewable energy capacity by 2027

The government said on Thursday that its coal ministry has advised all its central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) to diligently draft a net zero plan for the coal mining sector.  

Coal PSUs have meticulously prepared an action plan of three years outlining specific renewable targets, according to an official statement.  

Accordingly, Coal India and its subsidiaries, NLCIL, and SCCL have planned to install 3,000 MW, 3,731 MW and 550 MW of renewable energy capacity respectively, with an aim to take the country's total renewable energy capacity to over 7,231 MW by 2027. 

The move is in line with the Prime Minister's “panchamrit” commitment, a five-point agenda, at the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in November 2021:  

To raise the country's non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 
To ensure that 50 per cent of the country’s energy requirements are met using renewable energy sources by 2030  
To reduce the country's total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030 
To reduce the Indian economy's carbon intensity to less than 45 per cent vs 2005 levels 
To make the country carbon-neutral and achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 
 
Currently, renewable capacity of approximately 1,600 MW has already been created till March 2023, comprising 11 MW by CIL, 1360 MW by NLCIL and 224 MW by SCCL, according to the coal ministry.  

CIL has awarded 399 MW and NLCIL 1370 MW for the current financial year, which ends in March 2024.  An additional capacity of 2,553 MW is scheduled to be awarded in the financial year 2024-25, it said.  

The ministry also said CIL and NLCIL are planning to establish large solar parks in Gujarat and Rajasthan.  

 CIL has already signed an agreement for its maiden venture into solar power for the sale of 100 MW to GUVNL, Gujarat and also entered a joint venture with RRVUNL for setting up of a solar park of 1,190 MW, the ministry said.  

NLCIL has already awarded 300 MW solar power plant work to Tata Power, expected to be completed within 18 months, supplying power to Rajasthan, it added.