https://www.thegwpf.com/wary-of-the-new-green-wave-india-continues-to-increase-its-coal-capacity/
... A steady stream of anti-fossil policies has been introduced across the world since the inception of Paris agreement in 2016.
... There were some major exceptions to this movement.
Trump’s stance against anti-fossil energy policies, Australia’s continued export of coal, India and China’s unbreakable reliance on fossil fuels, and Japan’s shift from nuclear to fossil fuels were some of those glaring anomalies in a world where politicians were anti-fossil by principle during the past 4 years.
... India is an important player in the global discussion on renewable tech transition as they are one of the largest consumer of fossil fuels and a key importer of clean coal from Australia.
The rankings for fossil fuel consumption names India in the top 3, and together with China it makes up around 3 billion of the global population, representing the biggest fossil fuel consumption hotspot in the world.
India has never concealed its displeasure in accommodating the climate interests of those in Paris, Brussels, and D.C.
... The irony is that those nations which are exerting such undue de-carbonization pressure on India had used the very same fossil fuels in the 19th and 20th century to achieve the economic success and reached the developed economic state that they are in today.
... India alone has 300 million under the poverty line, nearly the entire population size in the U.S.
It was estimated that a further 104 million more people in India could fall below the World Bank-determined poverty line due to the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.
But reducing poverty would be impossible if the fossil-fuel dominated energy sector is compromised by increasing the dependency on wind and solar.
... inability to provide uninterrupted electricity is a real concern in India.
Despite significant improvement, an average Indian household received 20.6 hours of power supply from the grid per day.
Daily power supply in rural households of some states in the Northern part of the country was only around 18.5 hours in 2020.
... Last week, the EIA released its World Energy Outlook Special Report, which stated that the power generation from India’s solar sector will be similar to that from the coal plants by the year 2040.
... the EIA’s forecast is nothing more than wishful thinking.
... Speaking at an event last week, India’s Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi reiterated that coal will remain the primary energy source of the country, calling the coal sector as “backbone of the country” and assuring that the government will offer “full support.”
That is understandable, for the country’s peak demand is predominantly met by coal and government recognizes it to remain their priority even by 2030.
... India has streamlined its coal acquisition process where private players can buy coal and bid for operation of coal mines.
... 41 new coal mines were put out for auction in 2020 and it is expected that the country will offer another 55 new coal mines for auction in the next five years.
There are also plans to expand the 193 of the existing coal mines.
On January 27, 2021, India agreed with Russia, Japan for trilateral cooperation to improve their respective energy sectors, especially coal mining.
... the country’s Home Minister declared that coal is central to India’s ambition of becoming $5 Trillion economy.
With unprecedented investments in coal and oil, India is moving ahead into a fossil fuel powered future.
... The developing countries must not allow their domestic energy policies be dictated by carbon imperialists from the West ...
... The next 4 years will be crucial to the prospects of poverty reduction in the developing world, and it remains to be seen how the leadership there will react to the barrage of anti-fossil darts from the West."