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India's dependence on traditional fossil fuel-based energy will reduce to 30 per cent by the time the country celebrates its 100th year of independence, Petroleum and Natural Gas minister Hardeep Puri said on Friday.
"The transition (to clean fuels) is not a switch which you can on and off. You have to establish fairly expensive infrastructure also to make the transition," Puri said, speaking at the Times Now conclave. By 2047, India's 100th year of Independence, the country's dependence on traditional fuels would be 30 per cent or so. "The test lies in what we are achieving on the green front," Puri said. Ethanol blending has gone up from 1.4 per cent in 2014 to 10 per cent 2022, and 20 per cent would be reached by 2025. Ethanol blending in petrol was introduced by the Centre to reduce the country's oil import cost, energy security, lower carbon emissions and better air quality. "CNG also we are doing very well," the minister said. The country is moving towards making 15 per cent of its energy mix through natural gas. "The green hydrogen is where the real success will come," he said, betting on potential the emerging source of energy. India imports USD 150 billion worth of energy annually. India depends on imports for over 80 per cent of its crude oil requirement. Various steps have been taken by the government to increase the production of domestic crude oil and bring down imports. At COP26 held in 2021, India committed to an ambitious five-part "Panchamrit" pledge. They included reaching 500 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity, generating half of all energy requirements from renewables, and reducing emissions by 1 billion tonnes by 2030. India as a whole also aims to reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 45 per cent. Finally, India commits to net-zero emissions by 2070. Green energy for climate mitigation is not just a focus area for India, but globally it has gained momentum. (ANI)
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