Cement, Energy and Environment

• Tanmay Maitra OP Verma Birla Corporation Ltd, Corporate Office - Ko/kata Cement Division : Satna Unit: Satna Cement Works, Satna (M.P.) Introduction: India has immense potential in renewable energy sectors. Being tropical country , clear sun is a~ail able 3~0 days in half of the country with very h1gh potential for solar energy. India has very big coastal line which attracts wind farms in commercial scale. Agriculture covers above 80% of India· s GOP which creates possibility of Bio-fuel and biomass-based power generation. North and North-East Himalayan range invites hydro-power plant . The focus was primarily on the rural sector beca_use of perhaps two major reasons: firstly the requirement for power was substantially lower in the rural sector and secondly, rural sector's demand for a consistent supply was also not too strict. By nature renewable energy is geography dependant, its development and use were both confined to the areas producing it. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat were endowed with abundant INSOLATION, Tami lnadu with wind and Mah~rash~ra, owing to extensive sugarcane farm1ng w1th bagasse, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh as Rice Bowl of India encourage for rice– husk boiler. The generation and consumption were both localised in nature. Being costlier in nature. without any incentives, there would have been no reason for a distributor to buy any renewable energy to supply to his customers. But with the progression of time and subsequent development in the country, several factors have started contributing to a sudden emphasis on the development and consumption of renewable energy. • Firstly, the most important factor is warming ~nri r.onseauent environmental fallouts that the power plants based on coal, emits pollutants in the atmosphere which have cause irreparable damage to the fragile ecosystems. The requirement of energy cannot be practically reduced, so the only way out seems to reduce the dependence on the traditional sources of energy. This is where renewable energy scores as a viable option. • Secondly, major factor is the highly fluctuating nature of oil prices in the international markets. Most nations especially developing countries found their development plans completely thrown off-gear. Coal price also increased substantially linking with international oil price. Coal scarcity to the newly built mega thermal power plants slowed down the future projects. • Thirdly, major contributing factor is the quest for energy security which the policy makers of the country have been pursuing right from the time of independence. These three, together have laid the groundwork for renewable energy to become a viable option in terms of both sound policy and economic viabi lity. Most renewable energy technologies are still in a developing phase and in order for them to compete with established sources of energy there needs to be, a policy support mechanism in its favour to allow it to mature technologically and achieve economies of scale that are so essential for a reduction in its price vis-a-vis fossil fuels. Renewable Energy Obligation and Renewable Energy Certificates : India announced a voluntary curtailment of C02 emissions by 20-25% up to 2020 compared to a 2005 baseline for emissions , particularly through - ______ ,.. nf imnlamt=>ntinn nolicv measures which