Technology is going to be critical in deciding the energy mix for India

Are biofuels going to change the face of the power industry?

Biofuels have immense potential to change the face of the power industry than merely just catering to the needs of fuel demand. Biofuels have the capability to answer the imbalance that exists between the supply and demand ration of fuels. Biofuels have high scope to be used as fuel in vehicles but the resources used in the production of electricity needs to be replaced with immediate effect as they are heading towards getting extinct like coal. Also there is a limited availability of gas as a resource for production purposes and hence there is a need for creating awareness about climatic changes.

The ill-effects of the usage of current resources are reining heavy on the environment and corrective measures should be taken. Public awareness about such a need can be capitalized to minimize mass destructions like in Japan. If Japan was reduced to rumbles due to earthquake and the subsequent tsunami, the effects of global warming are beyond imagination. Also considering the fact that Japan had the best warning systems yet minutes later after the earthquake it was a scene of destruction and so lessons need to be learned from this.

Hence, we need to consider the environmental changes that could prove detrimental to nature and also the availability of resources for the generation of power. Therefore, there is an emphatic need to make the best possible use of the renewable resources.

Currently, research is being conducted on how to store the energy produced. For example the energy that is produced during the daytime needs to be stored for the night. This is important as India is blessed with sun rays for more than 300 days of the year. So it needs to be tapped with the aid of cutting edge technology not only in the production aspects but also for the storage and distribution purposes.

Is there a need for greater government support?

Research and development are of great importance and have the potential to lead us to a new horizons but unfortunately we are not paying much attention to this arena. Currently, there is 17% production with the aid of PV cells, and we intend to take this level to 40-50%. There is a lot of research being conducted to increase the potential of electricity generated from resources like solar, thermal, etc. In the next few years, a great deal of funds should be infused from the government and private sector to promote great deal of research. Currently, the government intends to spend $2.3 tn to boost its energy sector by 2030.

There is a need for an open-sighted and open-minded policy to study the Japan disaster, to highlight the default in relation to planning, safety standards, maintenance, safety audits, etc. This would help to highlight the facts that brought Japan to its knees. The right lessons need to be learnt from the disaster that struck Japan to ensure that the right precautionary and preventionary measures are implemented in India. Unless we do so, we are courting disaster.

How would you rate the importance of technology in the entire picture?

Technology is going to be critical in deciding the energy mix of India. The technology that the Indian companies need to bring to the market has to be one step ahead of what is available in the market and also in line with the rest of the world. For example, if we are pondering about developing the first generation technology, when the world has already developed third generation technology then research in this arena is not useful. Funds and efforts need to be invested to develop technology that is futuristic, like the one that can be used to store electricity. Technology in the power sector will play a key role and hence is required o be one step ahead from that used by the rest of the world.

Please highlight the futuristic technologies that would lead India.

Taking into consideration the fact that futuristic technology is required to increase efficiency, electricity is required to be generated from wind at a much higher velocity. Currently the plant load factor in India is at 17% which is very low compared to 40% of Sri Lanka. Cutting edge technology is the need of the hour to help India fill this gap. Improved technology is also required to progress biomass gassifiers to ensure that they do not emit greenhouse gases. Wireless platform is a good concept but a lot of innovation and research is required to ensure that power is transmitted from the solar panel through the wireless platform. The wireless platform has not made its remarkable moves on the Indian rural ground and only research and invention can further support it.

Shilpa Shanbhag

shilpas@cybermedia.co.in