Negotiators at the climate change summit today unveiled a new draft deal on which there was still no agreement even as India sought global support for bringing down the cost of renewable power to reduce reliance on coal.
Following three days of hectic parleys over a complex 54-page draft pact, negotiators released a document four pages shorter but still there was reportedly no agreement on about 250 undecided options across the text.
Targeted over its plan to expand coal usage for energy generation, India sought international support to bring down the cost of electricity from renewable energy to make sure that a large part of power generation in the country comes from this sector.
“Since yesterday, there have been a large number of comments on our renewable energy ambition. We want to make sure renewables provide an increasing amount of electricity. As the electricity sector grows, we want that a larger fraction of that growth comes from renewables,” India’s key negotiator Ajay Mathur said at the UN climate conference here.
“What we would like, as soon as possible, the cost of electricity from renewable becomes less than cost of electricity from coal. There is a concerted effort to bring the prices down. We also look forward to international support to bring price down further,” he said.
“We are looking at partnership and International Solar Alliance (ISA) is one such example which helps us move in that direction. We would be willing to take poll position in trying to see how we can enhance the fraction of RE (Renewable Energy) in our grid,” Mathur said on the third day of talks.
On being repeatedly asked if India’s plan on coal usage for energy generation was affecting the negotiations in anyway, Mathur said it was not the case.
“It does not affect the negotiations. We live in a society where each one of us is responsible for our actions. It is important that we put forward our point of view. We are trying to meet the energy needs of all the Indians,” he said.
“We are trying to meet the energy needs increasingly through renewables. What cannot be met through it will be met by coal. Over a period of time, as the fraction of renewables increases, the fraction of coal decreases. RE is the new story. We want to focus on that,” he added.
Time is fast running out for negotiators as ministers from around the globe, including Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, will reach Paris on Monday to transform the draft prepared by negotiators into a global accord before the conference draws to a close on December 11.
“At this rate, when ministers arrive next week they will wonder what progress has been made since world leaders took to the podium in Paris,” said Greenpeace’s head of international climate politics Martin Kaiser.
Mathur had yesterday said India was also ready to reduce its reliance on coal further if the developed countries were ready to support a quicker transition of the Indian economy towards renewables with adequate finances and suitable technology.
India is looking at enhancing renewable energy capacity in India by more than seven times.
He had said that this enhancement of renewable energy is “not” getting as much attention as the fact that the balance will be met by coal electricity.
Coal will increase by two to two and half times and this is getting far more attention than the fact that it would also mean a seven times increase of renewables.
We are looking at something in 200GW of solar and wind energy by 2030, he said.
Commenting on the Advanced Ultra Super Critical Technology (AUSCT) which is clean coal technology, Mathur said the super critical technology gives around 38 per cent efficiency while the ultra gives around 41 per cent efficiency.
“The AUSCT will take us to 43 plus efficiency. Our goal is that we keep on moving on this path and that coal plants put up in India are more efficient than last year. In 2009, we had put up a notification that all new plants have to be super critical. Therefore, all plants that are being now been made are super critical,” he said.
“Purely because of economic benefits, ultra super critical has also started coming. With AUSCT, the temperature and pressures are very high and needs special material. There is a lot of research going on in US and Japan. As US has decided to pull out from new capacity in coal, this research has stopped,” Mathur said.
“We have created a national mission to develop the kinds of materials that are used, to test them and also to collaborate with countries. We are fully committed, as we go ahead that the coal power plants will be more efficient than the ones that are put up today,” he added.
Developing countries need money and technology to make the switch to clean energy sources like solar and wind power. They are also asking for money to adapt to climate change.
The developed countries are willing to help but reluctant to make firm commitments as negotiators from over 190 nations look to negotiate a post-2020 deal to curb emissions and limit global temperature rise.
Meanwhile, a report in the South China Morning Post said China and India have put up a united stand on climate change issues in the past putting the onus to cut the emissions on developed countries but they have adopted divergent approaches at the ongoing Paris summit.
Beijing has opted for a low-carbon future while India still regards economic advancement powered by fossil fuels as the prerogative of developing nations, the report said.
The coalition between China and India in this regard is getting weaker, it said.
