Recognising the importance of renewable energy sources as the best alternative to conventional fuels, the Government of India, as far back as in 1981, set up a Commission for Additional Sources of Energy in the Department of Science and Technology. Later on this was followed by the setting up of a full fledged independent department, the Department of Non-conventional Energy Sources in 1982, converted into the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources (MNES) in 1992.

Government of India created the following organizations:

- Commission for Additional Sources of Energy (CASE) in 1981
- Department of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (DNES) in 1982
- Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) in 1992

MNES is the nodal agency of the Government of India for all matters relating to non-conventional/renewable energy. It undertakes policy making, planning, promotion and co-ordination functions relating to all aspects of renewable energy, including fiscal and financial incentives, creation of industrial capacity, promotion of demonstration and commercial programmes, R&D and technology development, intellectual property protection, human resource development and international relations. MNES also deals with emergying areas such as fuel cells, electrical vehicles, ocean energy and hydrogen energy. In order to provide concessional financial support to the renewable energy sector, the Ministry has set up under its fold a financial institution viz. Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA). 

The thrust to the Renewable Energy movement in India is given by Government of India with the establishment of a dedicated Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources.

India is the only country in the World to have an exclusive Ministry for Renewable Energy development.    Since the formation of MNES, it has launched one of the worlds largest and ambitious program on renewable energy.  Due to various promotional efforts put in by MNES significant progress is achieved  in power generation from renewable energy sources. The following are the subsidies/fiscal incentives made available by Govt of India for the promotion of renewable energy technologies in the country.

• Income tax holiday
• Accelerated depreciation 
• Concessional custom duty/duty free imports  
• Capital/Interest subsidy 
• Incentive for preparation of  DPRs and feasibility reports

Till the end of December, 2001 the contribution of renewable energy to the total power generation capacity in the country has been 3430 MW, which represents a little over 3 % of total energy capacity.  With an estimated potential of over 1,00,000 MW, the utilization is marginal.  This shows immense prospects for investment in renewable energy sector. ( Source : MNES annual report 1999 - 2000)

The following specific items have been assigned to the Ministry

Commission for Additional sources of Energy (CASE)

Integrated Rural Energy Programme (IREP)

Research and Development of biogas and programme relating to biogas units.

Programme relating to improved chulhas and research and development thereof.

Mini-micro hydel projects below 3 MW capacity and geothermal energy.

Solar photovoltaic devices, including their development, production and application.

Tidal energy, wave and ocean thermal energy.

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency

MNES is headed by a Secretary and the activities of the Ministry are divided into different groups, as listed, on the basis of end use applications and activities. These groups are headed by Advisers and/or joint Secretaries.

Renewable Energy Policy and Legislation

Rural Energy

Biogas plants

Improved biomass cook stoves

Biomass production and utilization briquetting and gasifiers

Integrated Rural Energy Programme

Solar Energy

Solar Photovoltaic systems

Solar thermal systems

Solar Energy Centre

Power Generation

Biomass Power

Wind Power

Small Hydro Power

Solar photovoltaic Power

Solar Thermal Power

Energy from Urban, Municipal and Industrail Wastes

New Technology

geothermal energy, ocean energy, alternate fuel for surface transport including electric vehicles, chemical sources of energy including fuel cells and hydrogen energy.

R&D

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd

Information and Public Awareness

International Relations

Integrated Finance

Planning, co-ordination and administration

MAJOR PROGRAMMES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

• The importance of increasing use of renewable energy sources in the transition to a sustainable energy base was recognized in India in the early 1970s. During the past quarter century, a significant effort has gone into the development, trial and induction of a variety of renewable energy technologies for use in different sectors of the economy and sections of society in India.

STRONG INDUSTRIAL BASE

• With a strong industrial base and successful commercialization of technologies in wind, solar photovoltaics, solar thermal, small hydel, biogas and improved biomass stoves, India is in a position today to offer 'state-of-the-art' technology to other developing countries and is poised to play a leading role in the global movement towards sustainable energy development.

LARGEST RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAMMES

• India has today among the world's largest programmes for renewable energy. Our activities cover all major renewable energy sources of interest to us, such as, biogas, biomass, solar energy, wind energy, small hydro power and the other emerging technologies. In each of these areas, we have programmes of resource assessment, R&D, technology development and demonstration. Several renewable energy systems and products are now not only commercially available, but are also economically viable in comparison to fossil fuels, particularly when the environmental costs of fossil fuels are taken into account.

• The Ministry is involved in the implementation of these programmes for development, demonstration and utilization of various renewable energy based technologies, such as, solar thermal; solar photovoltaics; wind power generation and water pumping; biomass combustion/co-generation; small, mini, & micro hydro power; solar power; utilization of biomass - gasifiers, briquetting, biogas, improved chulha (cook-stove); geothermal for heat applications and power generation/energy recovery from urban, municipal and industrial wastes; and tidal power generation.

• The Ministry also deals with other emerging areas and New Technologies, such as, chemical sources of energy, fuel cells, alternative fuel for surface transportation and hydrogen energy etc.

Opportunities

In India Investment opportunities are available for following types of investors and users:

• Investment by foreign investors in renewable energy:

Wind, Solar Photovoltaic, Solar Thermal , Small Hydro, Biomass, Co-generation, Geothermal, Tidal and Urban & Industrial Wastes based power projects.

• Investment by Indian investors in renewable energy:

Wind, Solar Photovoltaic, Solar Thermal, Small Hydro, Biomass, Co-generation, Geothermal, Tidal and Urban & Industrial Wastes based power projects; and Biogas, Improved Chulha; Solar energy; and other renewable energy based systems & devices for decentralized applications.

• Investment by Indian/foreign investors for manufacturing of renewable energy systems and devices based on:

Wind, Solar Photovoltaic, Solar Thermal , Small Hydro, Biomass, Co-generation, Geothermal, Tidal and Urban & Industrial Wastes for their utilization in India and also for exports to developing and third world countries.

• Investment by users of various renewable energy systems and devices:

for the decentralized electrical & thermal applications and installation of renewable energy power projects for their captive use.

MNES is giving a new thrust to its renewable energy programmes and more aggressively moving into new areas and proceeding in new directions across the entire spectrum of rural energy, solar energy, power generation and new technologies. The major initiatives currently planned are

Formulation of policy and legislation

Institutional Linkages for integration of renewable energy

Identification of high focus areas

Marketing outlets

R&D and specialized institutions

International partnerships and exports

POWER GENERATION:

 

Publications

1. Solar Cooker (Hindi)
2. Eco-Friendly Energy Sources for the Coming Millenium
3. Women and Renewable Energy ( Eng. )
4. Women and Renewable Energy ( Hindi )
5. RESOURCE, Vol.1, July 1999
6. RESOURCE, Vol.2, Oct. 1999
7. Energy Alert, Vol.:5 (1999), Issue No-:3 /GEDA
8. IREDA News ,Vol.10, No-2 April-June 1999
9. IREDA News, Vol.10, No-3,Jul.-Sept. 1999
10. Biogas; A Rural Energy Source/ MNES
11. National Program on Improved Chulhas/ MNES
12. Manual for Solar Thermal Systems/ IREDA
13. Scheme for Industry / Institution Participation in Research & Development Projects in the Non-Conventional Energy Sector/ MNES
14. Bio -Energy News (Quarterly)/ National Bio-energy Board MNES
15. Solar Thermal Energy /IREDA
16. Hot Water from Sun /IREDA
17. Battery Powered Vehicles/IREDA
18. Battery Chalit Vahan (Hindi)/IREDA
19. Biomass Based Co-generation(Hindi)/IREDA
20. Saur Cooker Bazar Vikas Karyakram(Hindi )/ IREDA
21. Saur Photovoltaic Vikas Karyakram (Hindi )/IREDA
22. Hot Water from Sun( Hindi )/IREDA
23. Uchch Dakshta Wale Chulhe(Hindi)
24. Renewable Energy Financing Guidelines/IREDA
25. Pavan Shakti Vikas Karyakram /IREDA
26. Micro Hydel Sets /IREDA
27. Biomass Vidhyut Utpadan/IREDA
28. Small Size Biogas Sanyantra/ IREDA
29. Biomass Bricketing -Ek Ghanibhut Akshaya Urj Shrota/IREDA
30. Biomass Gasifiers/ IREDA
31. Saur Tapiya Urja/ IREDA
32. Kachre Se Urja IREDA
33. Paani Ke Saur Pump/ IREDA
34. Audhyogik Apshishton ka Bio Methanisation/IREDA
35. Laghu Jaliya Shakti Vikas Karyakram/IREDA
36. Mahila Udhyami Vikas Karyakram ?IREDA
37. The World Sustainable Energy Trade Fair& Congress-Keynote Address by Ashok Parthasarthy
38. Aparamparik Urja Shrota Mantralaya/MNES
39. Urja Bharti ( Wind Energy Spl), Issue-I
40. Urja Bharti ( Wind Energy Spl.) Issue-II
41. Urja Bharti( Solar Energy Spl)
42. Urja Bharati (Spl. Issue on Small Hydro Power Development).

 

Contact:

Srl No	Source/Technologies	Unit	Achievementents
1	Wind power	MW	900
2	Small Hydro power (upto 3 MW)	MW	144
3	Biomass Power	MW	83
4	Solar photovoltaic power	MW/Sq. km	28
5	Urban and Municipal Wastes
	a)    Installed   b)    Being taken up	MW   MW	3.75   90.00
6	Solar Thermal Systems
	a)  Solar Water Heating Systems b)  Solar cookers	Sq. Mtrs Nos	400000   430000
7	Biogas Plants	Nos in Million	2.5
8	Improved biomass stoves (improved chulhas)	Nos in Million	24

Building	Block 14, CGO Complex
Street	Lodi Road
City	110 003    New Delhi
Country	India
Telephone	(+91) 11 - 436 16 04
Facsimile	(+91) 11 - 436 27 72
E-Mail	secymnes@hub.nic.in
Internet	www.mnes.nic.in
Activities	Implementation of Programmes for Development, Demonstration and Utilization of Various Renewable Energy Based Technologies

 

MNES - OFFICES THROUGHOUT INDIA

                         

                 SECRETARY

                         MINISTRY OF NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES

                         BLOCK 14 CGO COMPLEX

                         LODI ROAD

                         NEW DELHI                         110003

 

                         DIRECTOR

                         MINISTRY OF NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES

                         29  ZONE II

                         MAHARANA PRATAP NAGAR

                         BHOPAL                         462001

                         DIRECTOR

                         MINISTRY OF NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES

                         NO 1-11-22/6/D

                         COURT SADAN, BEGUMPET

                         HYDERABAD                         500016

                         SENIOR SCIENTIFIC OFFICER

                         MINISTRY OF NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES

                         A/1/18 SECTOR H

                         ALIGANJ

                         LUCKNOW                         226020

                         PRINCIPAL SCIENTIFIC OFFICER

                         MINISTRY OF NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES

                         IIND FLOOR BHAI KAKA COMPLEX, BHAKKAKA NAGAR

                         THALTEJ

                         AHMEDABAD                         380054

                         SENIOR SCIENTIFIC OFFIER

                         MINISTRY OF NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES

                         PUB-SARANIA, 1ST BYE LANE,

                         NEAR RLY LINE GATE, CHANDMARI

                         GUWAHATI                         781003

                         DIRECTOR

                         MINISTRY OF NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES

                         SCO 364

                         SECTOR 44 D

                         CHANDIGARH                         160047

                         PRINCIPAL SCIENTIFIC OFFICER

                         MINISTRY OF NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES

                         2ND FLOOR, KURALAGAM

                         -----------

                         CHENNAI                         600108

                         SENIOR SCIENTIFIC OFFICER

                         MINISTRY OF NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES

                         PLOT 28

                         ASHOK NAGAR

                         BHUBHANESHWAR                         751009

 

Reference Links:

http://mnes.nic.in/ Web Site http://www.cid.harvard.edu/cidbiotech/comments/comments135.htm Developing country prospects for globalization of R&D: Nagesh Kumar, Ph.D., mailto:nagesh@del6.vsnl.net.in Research and Information Systems for Developing Countries, Habitat Centre New Delhi, India http://www.tezu.ernet.in/dener/india.html Energy Web Directory http://www.rwedp.org/c_ind.html Wood Energy Situation http://www.cs.arizona.edu/japan/atip/public/atip.reports.98/atip98.060.html India's Hydrogen Energy Program