Importance of hydropower for energy sustenance in India Agarwal Sanchit Saran, Kansal Mitthan Lal Department of Water Resources Development & Management, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee Online published on 18 September, 2018. Abstract Energy is a prime factor in anation's economic and social growth. With increasing environmental concerns, there is an active worldwide focus on energy generation through renewable energy resources, especially, solar and wind.Currently, thermal power (coal, oil and gas) occupiesthe largest share of worldwide energy generation, but it is marred with pollution concerns. In case of hydropower, itis the single largest source of renewable energy in the world. Development of hydropower projects have been affected by their socioenvironmental impacts in past decade, but the sector is gaining momentum again. Solar and wind power provide clean energy but are intermittent as they are dependent on sun and wind availability. Thermal power and hydropower compensate for the intermittent nature of solar and wind, providing stability to the electric grid. Technical capabilities of hydropower, such as quick start-stop, black-start, spinning reserve, voltage and frequency regulation are more suited to stabilize a dynamic grid. In Indian context, energy requirement is expected to increase manifold in the coming decade to attain the targeted Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 8%. Currently, thermal power plants in India occupy 66% of the energy share and are used to provide stability to the grid. However,financial burden due to import of coal, oil and natural gas and environmental concerns mandate the development of renewables in the country's energy mix. Hydropower is available abundantly in India, with 84044 MW potential at 60% Load Factor. It is the single largest clean energy contributor in the country. The present paper aims to comprehensively discuss the importance of hydropower in the country's energy scenario. Top Keywords Energy, Hydropower, Renewable, Electric Grid. Top |