To contribute India’s commitment to increase non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gigawatt (GW) by 2030, coal and lignite companies have planned to install additional 5,560 megawatt (MW) of renewable capacity in the country with an investment of over Rs 15,000 crore, the coal ministry on Thursday said.

This will take the total installed capacity to 7 GW. Coal India Ltd (CIL) alone has planned to install 3 GW of solar power in the next five years to achieve its net zero target, the ministry said in a statement.

With the recent announcement on new climate targets by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP26 under ‘Panchamrit Strategy’, India has taken a big step towards cementing its commitment to clean energy.

Since coal has to play a role of primary fuel for power generation in the country for the time being, till renewable source fully caters to our energy demand, the Ministry of Coal in line with the commitment has already moved forward with a comprehensive Sustainable Development Plan, according to the statement.

Action has already started for its speedy implementation. Emphasis is to put major thrust on sustainable development in coal mining, taking care of its environmental and social impact.

https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/coal/coal-lignite-firms-plan-to-install-additional-5560-mw-renewable-energy-capacity-by-2030/87782087