Why Focus on Renewable Energy is Crucial for Indian Agri

The present government at the centre, is diligently plotting a course to reduce future imports of fossil fuels. To get there, the government is implementing many eco-friendly policies across many sectors, including transportation, energy, logistics, and cars. Similarly, this sustainable revolution is also having an impact on agriculture, which is one of India's most important sectors. Rural parts of India are set to benefit from solar pumps and grid-connected power plants thanks to initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM). The world has understood the importance of renewable energy resources and safeguarding the environment at the same time. Let's explore the scope and implementation of renewable energy in the Indian agriculture sector.

- Nitin Konde

Renewable energy (RE) sources contributed to 71 per cent of the -26GW of power generation capacity that India added in FY 2023-24, according to the latest edition of the CEEW Centre for Energy Finance (CEEW-CEF) Market Handbook released on May 2. The country's total installed energy capacity has now reached 442 GW, of which ~144 GW (33 per cent) was RE, and ~47 GW (11 per cent) came from hydro. Consequently, the coal/ lignite share in India's total installed capacity tipped below the 50 per cent mark for the first time. The handbook also found that solar-gridscale and rooftop-continued to dominate India's RE capacity addition, accounting for ~15 GW (or 81 per cent of RE addition) in FY24. Wind capacity addition almost doubled and stood at 3.3 GW (vs 2.3 GW in FY23). Notably, for the first time since FY17, nuclear capacity (1.4 GW) was added in FY24.

Some new efforts to harness RE sources are cropping up in the agricultural sector. Wind and solar power systems work together to make RE more efficient and dependable for farming. By utilising these devices, power continuity is maintained even in situations where solar generation is minimal, for as on overcast days or at night. In areas rich in wind and solar electricity, researchers are looking into hybrid systems that can power farms around the clock. In areas where power outages are common, solar pumps offer a dependable and economical way to water crops. They are useful because they lessen farmers' operational expenses and carbon footprint.

Commenting on these developments, Narinder Mittal, Country Manager & Managing Director, Agriculture Business - CNH Industrial India and SAARC, stated, "Utilising RE to conduct agriculture operations is a very productive step as it will not only cut down on farmers' expenses but it will also help them to increase the quality of their product by embedding innovative solutions into their daily operations."

Agrivoltaics Advantage