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OpINION DECEMBER 10, 2021 | The Indian Eye 12

Beijing’s lead in renewable energy:

Why india needs to introspect?

Recent developments offer considerable opportunities for India to expand its renewable energy sector.

The financial support from the US, UK, EU and Japan will enable India to enhance its power generation
capacity by developing critical areas like clean energy technology innovation

MAYuRI BANERJEE with China, the challenges from Chi-
nese dominance in the renewable en-
he potentially damaging im- ergy sector are many. To begin with,
pact of prolonged fossil fuel Chinese monopoly over Rare Earth
Tuse on global climate has ele- Elements (REE) supply puts India in
vated renewable energy resources as a vulnerable spot. Due to both low do-
the future global fuel. Moreover, fall- mestic production and lack of cheap
ing cost of renewable energy produc- alternative supplies, Indian industries
tion and increasing demand for clean like automobile, defense, solar panel
power in the developing countries and wind turbine manufacturing are
have added to the strategic value of heavily reliant on Chinese rare earth
the renewable industry. Accordingly, mineral supplies. Chinese policy-
a number of countries including the makers aware of the dependence are
US, UK, China, India, Australia and inclined to exploit the Indian condi-
France are moving at a fast pace to tions for strategic and political gains
master clean technology and export against New Delhi. For instance, this
green energy. China, the world’s larg- year, amidst the Galwan Valley cri-
est greenhouse gas emitter, has also sis, Chinese solar equipment man-
emerged as one of the leading coun- ufacturers threatened twice to stop
tries in the renewable energy sector. polysilicon supplies to Indian power
Over the years, China has expanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi with uK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the sidelines of developers, resulting in completion
its domestic renewable energy power COP26 World Leaders’ Summit in Glasgow (ANI) delays and cost increment of solar
base and surpassed the West to be- power projects in India. These in-
come a leading exporter of renewable space have been threefold—acquisi- China’s extensive control of the stances are likely to happen again
energy technology. tion of resources, gaining an edge in global renewable energy supply chain in future, when bilateral disputes
Compared to China, the Indian technology and dominating the mar- has sparked severe concerns in various emerge between the two countries.
renewable industry is at the nascent ket. Since rare earth minerals are countries. For example, speculations Second, China incorporating
stage. However, the country is invest- termed as the oil of new age due to are rife in the US and EU about Chi- green technologies into border de-
ing aggressively in the sector as India their critical manufacturing value for nese intentions of using export restric- fense endangers India’s military se-
aspires to achieve 175 GW of renew- both defense equipment and green tions in rare earth minerals as lever- curity. A renewable-powered Chinese
able capacity by 2022 and 523 GW by energy components, China is evident- age in bilateral disputes. On the other military will be less vulnerable to fuel
2030. Currently, India stands at the ly aiming to secure sufficient resource hand, in Asia, China-installed power disruption and capable of sustaining
fourth position globally for overall in- to gain leverage in diplomatic bar- grids have come under scrutiny over longer operations. It is also notewor-
stalled renewable energy capacity and gaining in the future. Also, as China the security risks of Chinese control of thy that one of the critical goals of
is running the world’s largest renew- will be able to regulate the essential the regional power supply. Last year, Chinese military modernization is
able energy expansion programme. raw material supply chain, it could aid the Trump administration also moved enhancing self-sufficiency. Therefore,
Also, recently the National Solar China to retain its leading position in an executive order to remove Chinese Indian border regions could be ex-
Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) the industry and influence future ad- equipment from America’s electrical posed to a greater Chinese threat in
has set up the Renewable Energy Ex- vancements in the sector. grid systems, citing security concerns. times to come.
port Promotion Council of India to Beijing strategized to dominate Driven by potential risks of Chinese In contrast to China, India con-
promote Indian export of renewable the clean energy market on the trade control of the global supply value tributes only 7 per cent of the green-
energy. Therefore, as India’s strides in front by entrenching itself deeply chain, major powers like the US, UK, house gas emissions. Even so, and
the renewable sector are increasingly within the global supply chain—from EU, Japan and Australia have insti- despite the considerable development
gaining pace, it gives an opportunity raw materials to finished consumer tuted several policy measures. These gap with China, India has commit-
to assess what potential challenges products. It is noteworthy that China countries are striving to resist Chinese ted to achieving carbon neutrality by
and opportunities arise for India in is also pushing for global recognition hegemonic practices, ranging from 2070, that is, within 10 years of Chi-
the face of China’s growing domi- of its leadership status to expand its restrictions on technology transfer to na achieving the same. Further, in a
nance in the climate industry. renewable energy market. As an ex- China, increasing funding for R&D in significant step towards promoting
China wants to dominate the ercise in that direction, Beijing is at- renewable energy technology to form- and harnessing clean energy, India,
renewable energy sector due to its tempting to project its domestic en- ing partnerships for resource explora- in six years, launched two high-level
increasing strategic value as future vironmental principle of ‘ecological tion and clean energy infrastructure. initiatives—the International Solar
energy resource. To that end, China’s civilization’ as future recourse to sus- For India, which shares a disput- Alliance (ISA) with France in 2015
endeavors in the renewable energy tainable development. ed border and strained bilateral ties Continued at next page... >>

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