India sticks to coal-use plans; Javadekar accuses West of hypocrisy
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Prakash Javadekar
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NEW DELHI: India is girding for a slugfest over its coal-use plans at
the Paris climate summit with environment minister Prakash Javadekar
hitting back at developed nations, saying their criticism is
hypocritical as the country lags US hugely in per capita and total
consumption of coal-based electricity.
Arguing that India is following a much cleaner path in terms of what the developed world did at a comparable stage of development, Javadekar said, "This is a hypocritical campaign by design against India and it will backfire as the truth is that our coal and total fossil fuel is much less that the US and we are also making it cleaner."
The US per capita consumption of coal-based power is 15,000 kwh as against India's 1,000 kwh and though America is now using shale gas in increasing quantities, its reliance on fossil fuels is still as high as 68% of its energy mix, said Javadekar.
The minister said it was puzzling to see the West urging India to import "cleaner" coal rather than exploiting its own reserves. Alternate sources of cleaner energy like nuclear power cost at least thrice as much per unit and it did not seem reasonable to expect countries like India to junk their plans to use the mineral.
Keen to counter the argument that it is a hurdle at the climate change talks, India has enhanced its targets for renewable energy 10 fold and in the next 15 years this source could account for 40% of the electricity supply. "We are doing it better than anyone else. I think the whole debate on coal also seems to assume that science will remain static. Technologies for cleaner coal production and use are being developed all the time," Javadekar said.
The minister said the challenge of carbon capture and storage is being addressed. "We can in future plan a thermal plant complex that sees the carbon being used for fertilizer or an input to another industry," Javadekar said.
The minister said there is no doing away with coal as a start up for power plants and pointed out that not all forms of renewable energy can be relied on year around. India's plans to set up ultra power projects and use of super critical technology along with better mining can reduce the carbon emissions associated with coal.
On the issue of clean technology, he said, "In the case of the global fight against HIV the developed world cooperated in providing cheaper drugs and eased up on patents. Surely the same can be done to control global warming which is today a much bigger threat."
Arguing that India is following a much cleaner path in terms of what the developed world did at a comparable stage of development, Javadekar said, "This is a hypocritical campaign by design against India and it will backfire as the truth is that our coal and total fossil fuel is much less that the US and we are also making it cleaner."
The US per capita consumption of coal-based power is 15,000 kwh as against India's 1,000 kwh and though America is now using shale gas in increasing quantities, its reliance on fossil fuels is still as high as 68% of its energy mix, said Javadekar.
The minister said it was puzzling to see the West urging India to import "cleaner" coal rather than exploiting its own reserves. Alternate sources of cleaner energy like nuclear power cost at least thrice as much per unit and it did not seem reasonable to expect countries like India to junk their plans to use the mineral.
Keen to counter the argument that it is a hurdle at the climate change talks, India has enhanced its targets for renewable energy 10 fold and in the next 15 years this source could account for 40% of the electricity supply. "We are doing it better than anyone else. I think the whole debate on coal also seems to assume that science will remain static. Technologies for cleaner coal production and use are being developed all the time," Javadekar said.
The minister said the challenge of carbon capture and storage is being addressed. "We can in future plan a thermal plant complex that sees the carbon being used for fertilizer or an input to another industry," Javadekar said.
The minister said there is no doing away with coal as a start up for power plants and pointed out that not all forms of renewable energy can be relied on year around. India's plans to set up ultra power projects and use of super critical technology along with better mining can reduce the carbon emissions associated with coal.
On the issue of clean technology, he said, "In the case of the global fight against HIV the developed world cooperated in providing cheaper drugs and eased up on patents. Surely the same can be done to control global warming which is today a much bigger threat."
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