90% of India's renewable energy portfolio faces high climate risk by 2030: Report
New Delhi, June 26
Around 90 per cent of India's renewable energy portfolio could face high or critical climate risks by 2030, highlighting the need for urgent resilience measures as the country rapidly expands its clean energy capacity, according to a report released by Zurich Kotak General Insurance and Zurich Resilience Solutions.
The report assessed 871 renewable energy sites across the ten states with the highest renewable energy capacity. Together, these sites represent a planned capacity of around 267 GW.
It stated "Across 871 sites in the ten states with most renewable energy capacity, with a combined planned capacity of approximately 267 GW, the data highlights concentrated exposure to tornado, wildfire, flood and hail with 90 per cent of assessed assets as high or critical risk, of which 66 per cent are rated critical by 2030".
The report said India is building its renewable energy future at an extraordinary pace, but the climate conditions facing these assets are also changing rapidly.
It stressed that resilience measures need to be integrated while many projects are still in the planning and construction stages, when the cost of adaptation remains relatively low.
The report said "Acting now - through smarter design, better site selection and targeted resilience measures - could protect them from the worst of the changes to come".
Solar energy dominates India's renewable energy pipeline in both capacity and number of project sites. Wind and hydropower projects also contribute to the portfolio, although at a smaller scale.
According to the report, climate risks facing renewable energy assets are manageable if action is taken early. It estimated that a resilience investment of around USD 4.6 billion, equivalent to about 2 per cent of the portfolio's replacement cost, could significantly reduce the financial impact of climate-related risks.
The study estimated that such investments could lower potential climate-related losses from USD 55 billion to USD 27 billion. The report described this as a return of around six times for every dollar invested in resilience measures.
To strengthen the sector, the report outlined five key recommendations. These include making climate risk screening mandatory during project planning and permitting, stress-testing high-risk assets, integrating hazard-specific resilience measures into procurement, extending resilience planning beyond individual assets to supporting infrastructure, and using resilience assessments to attract investment.
The report emphasised that resilience should be treated as an enabler of growth rather than an added cost. It said stronger resilience can help protect reliability, reduce avoidable losses and improve confidence among investors, insurers and businesses.
According to the report, India's renewable energy transition presents a major opportunity, but ensuring long-term durability of assets will require climate resilience to become a standard part of how clean energy projects are planned, financed and operated.
— ANI
Reader Comments
But this is just an insurance company's report! They want to sell expensive resilience policies. The government is already doing its best with PM-KUSUM and other schemes. Yes, some sites face risks but saying 90% is high risk seems exaggerated. Can we see the actual methodology?
As someone working in climate policy, this report is spot on. We are installing massive solar farms in Rajasthan and Gujarat without considering desert storms, heat waves, and water scarcity for cleaning panels. The ₹4.6 billion investment they mention is peanuts compared to what we could lose. We need climate-proof renewable energy NOW.
Interesting report from Zurich Kotak. India's renewable energy push is commendable, but this highlights a universal truth: climate change is a risk multiplier. The recommendation to integrate resilience from the planning stage is crucial. I hope Indian companies and state governments take this seriously before huge investments turn into losses.
This is what happens when we rush into things without proper planning. We need to slow down and do proper site selection. There are plenty of areas in India with lower climate risk where we can build solar. Why are we building everything in Rajasthan and Gujarat? Look at Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, MP - they have stable weather and good irradiation.
Yaar, first they say we need more renewable energy to fight climate change, now they say these assets themselves are at risk from climate change! It's like a catch-22 situation. But honestly, we should not let this deter us. Every technology has risks. The key is to design better - use hail-resistant panels, better mounting structures, and proper drainage. Innovation will
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