Climate change has thrown up key challenges for power firms. In this exclusive interview, Tata Power CEO Praveer Sinha lists the issue facing the power companies how his company is addressing them
Climate change has thrown up key challenges for power companies and there is an urgent need for them to limit their coal-based production and increasingly move to non-carbon generation. And as the power sector moves to renewables, there is bound to be some disruption. In this exclusive interview, Jyoti Mukul spoke to Tata Power CEO Praveer Sinha on how his company is addressing the concerns around carbon emissions, what are the challenges being faced, and the need for flexibility in the power market. Edited excerpts:
On climate change, the need for power companies to move to non-carbon generation and what Tata Power is doing…
- Need to address climate change issues immediately
- Can't postpone them to 2040-2050
- Cyclones and erratic monsoons some challenges seen in India
- Heating and cooling by homes, offices and industry the biggest climate change drivers
- Power generation contributes 20% to emissions, mobility 30%
- Power sector should move away from carbon-based generation
- Solutions: Hydropower, solar, hydrogen, biomass, biogas
- Tata Power's present non-carbon generation 30%
- Plan to raise it to 60% by 2025, and 70% by 2030
- Tata Power may achieve net-zero carbon target before 2040
- Power purchase agreements for coal plants may be over by 2041
- New investment in non-carbon generation, technologies like solar
- No fresh investment in greenfield or brownfield coal plants
- EV charging facility across India to support city, inter-city mobility
- Started work on them along 3,600-km stretch from Kashmir to Kanyakumari
- We'll play key role in providing abundant clean energy to consumers
On issues facing the power companies and challenges ahead…
- Coal mines get flooded during monsoon
- Transportation by train a challenge in monsoon and winter fog
- Power companies under pressure due non-payment of dues by discoms
- During Covid-19 period, many consumers could not pay power dues
- Some disruption likely as power sector moves to renewables
- Work to be done on battery storage, hydrogen and mechanical storages
- Making this renewable power firm will be a challenge
On the option of selling power via spot market exchanges
- Robust market for power trading on day-ahead or real-time basis
- 8-9% energy requirement transacted through exchanges
- Fixed-price deals with procurers unviable for imported coal-based power plants
- Generators should get to supply via exchanges when prices become unviable
- This will balance power requirement and there will be no unnecessary rise in cost
 "Tata Power CEO Praveer Sinha on India's transition to renewable energy")
