Inaugural Address at the Symposium on Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research

ADDRESS

I am indeed delighted to participate and inaugurate the Symposium on Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development. My greetings to Director and faculty members of Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research and all the participants of this Symposium.

Nation is passing through a energy crisis. There is shortage of power in many parts of the country. Wherever power is available it is not reliable. Number of man-hours are lost due to unplanned interruptions. There is an immediate need to address the problems and find solutions. Conduct of this symposium is a step towards finding methods by which we can improve the present energy situation improve the environment and ensure sustainable national development.

Energy for future generations

It has been estimated that the soaring demand for power will necessitate a tripling of the installed generation capacity from 100,000 to 300,000 MW over the next two decades. Besides increasing investment in conventional power generation routes like thermal and hydro, greater emphasis need to be placed in thegeneration of power using nuclear energy and renewable energy. In this respect, India is already the world's fifth largest producer of wind power with more than 95% of the investment coming from the private sector. Other renewable energy technologies like solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, small hydro and biomass power etc. also need to be augmented. An important aspect which needs attention is power distribution. For instance, the rural electrification programme launched in 1951 has succeeded in bringing electricity to more than 5 lakh villages. However, 80000 villages are yet to get electricity connections and quiet a few of them are in remote areas where conventional electricity grid may not be feasible. Therefore, in rural areas, non-conventional energy sources like generation of power from biomass, wind, solar power can be tried out.

The era of wood and bio-mass is almost near its end. So is the age of oil and natural gas. Massive burning of the remaining reserves of coal would surely lead the world in ecological disaster. Nuclear power especially a breakthrough in nuclear fusion may be a path. But sustainable economic development and perennial sources of clean energy which would then heal the wounded planet earth's environment and ecology can be only through massive use of the solar energy.

Satellite Based Systems

Solar Power satellite placed in the geostationary orbit can provide a cost effective long term solution to the energy crisis. Multiple nations should come together to provide cost effective solution to establish a constellation of satellite and receive power to the earth. Several study and experiments have been made to realise low cost systems.

Networking of Rivers

Networking of Rivers is a vital project to manage the flood - drought conditions that repeat in some parts of our country. To offset this regional hydro-imbalance, the need of the hour is to have a water and power mission which will enable widespread availability of water and power without compromising environmental safety or unleashing mindless appropriation of earth's bounty. A prime ingredient of this task would be imparting the requisite thrust to the networking of our river systems to transfer water from our surplus basins to pockets of deficit. This project is in the active consideration and a task team has been formed by the Government. During the study of such mega projects, it is quite natural that there will be tremendous extreme and different views on various issues. It is our responsibility to ensure that environmental conservation activities become economically profitable. The river networking project should have it in its agenda the action plan for increasing the afforestation by certain percentage in the regions of the proposed new canals and storage basins. This project could yield nearly 65,000 MW of power through hydro Electric Power Generation System.

Environmental Pollution from Energy Use

- Energy use is associated with environmental problems. The emissions of SOx, NOx, lead and particulates cause severe air pollution in urban areas. At the same time use of dirty bio-fuels for cooking cause severe indoor air pollution in kitchens affecting adversely the health of people.

- There is thus a conflict between energy use and air quality. However, this is more apparent than real. Technologies exist to use energy relatively cleanly so that damage due to air pollution is minimized. This has been done in industrialized countries and they have not lost their competitive edge. For a polluter to take care of pollution at source is not so expensive that it would put him out of business. The problem is providing incentives to do so and do it in a level playing field. If the polluter is asked to bear the cost of health damage he inflicts on others he will reduce emissions. The net benefit to the society would be positive. The higher cost to the energy user would be much smaller than the health benefits and health costs avoided by the victims of pollution induced by the energy user.

Bio-diesel - Benefits

In 2000, biodiesel became the only alternative fuel in the world to have successfully completed the mandatory health effects testing under the Clean Air Act. These independent tests conclusively demonstrated biodiesel's significant reduction of virtually all regulated emissions, and showed biodiesel does not pose a threat to human health.

Biodiesel contains no sulfur or aromatics, and use of biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine results in substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter. Laboratory studies indicate that the production and use of biodiesel, compared to petroleum diesel, resulted in a 78.5% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Moreover, biodiesel has a positive energy balance. For every unit of energy needed to produce a gallon of biodiesel, 3.24 units of energy are gained.

With agricultural commodity prices approaching record lows, and petroleum prices approaching record highs, it is clear that more can be done to utilize domestic surpluses of vegetable oils while enhancing our energy security. Because biodiesel can be manufactured using existing industrial production capacity, and used with conventional equipment, it provides substantial opportunity for immediately addressing our energy security issues. If the true cost of using foreign oil were imposed on the price of imported fuel, renewable fuels, such as biodiesel, probably would be the most viable option.

Increased utilization of renewable biofuels results in significant microeconomic benefits to both the urban and rural sector. In addition to being a domestically produced, renewable alternative fuel for diesel engines, biodiesel has positive performance attributes such as increased cetane, high fuel lubricity, and high oxygen content, which may make it a preferred blending stock with future ultra-clean diesel.

E-Diesel A New Ethanol Innovation

The fuel is a liquid blend of low-sulfur No.2 diesel fuel, 7-15% ethanol and a small amount of an additive designed to stabilize the fuel and improve performance. E-Diesel is currently being tested in several states. For just a few rupees more, E-Diesel could clean up emissions from diesel engines. This exciting new opportunity represents a large market of clean-burning ethanol.

Green Power

Consumer demand for clean renewable energy and the deregulation of the utilities industry have spurred growth in green power-solar, wind, geothermal steam, biomass, and small-scale hydroelectric sources of power. Small commercial solar power plants have begun serving some energy markets.

Conclusion

Problems of energy security throw up challenges for Scientists, Technologies, Social Scientists, Administrators and Politicians. It is essential to carry out multi disciplinary analysis for finding creative solutions, Vision and cooperation all stake holders is essential to implement a viable scheme. Energy is a vital requirement for transforming India into a developed Nation by 2020. Promise probably lies in undertaking long term research programmes as solar thermal concentrator bio-diesel, Ethanol and Hydrogen based fuel technologies. Also our oil reserves are depleting fast whereas gas finds are increasing. We need to undertake research on gas - to - liquid plant technologies for producing environment friendly fuels of the next decades. I would request the seminar participants to address the critical issues involved and provide a road map for realizing energy security for the nation consistent with clean environment and sustainable development.

Thank you.