# Clean Energy and Biofuels for UPSC: Renewables, Green Hydrogen, Storage, Nuclear, Ethanol, SAF and the Carbon Market Source: https://tracknation.in/story/clean-energy-and-biofuels-for-upsc-renewables-green-hydrogen-storage-nuclear-ethanol-saf-and-the-carbon-market (TrackNation — free UPSC notes with PYQs) > Clean energy for UPSC: India's 51.93 per cent non-fossil capacity, solar and wind numbers, pumped storage and batteries, the National Green Hydrogen Mission, nuclear targets and the SHANTI Act, ethanol blending, sustainable aviation fuel and the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme. Includes practice questions, the real PYQs and exact Mains questions. ## How UPSC Tests Clean Energy 🎯 **Exam priority: Tier-2. Energy questions mix technology (hydrogen, storage, fuel cells) with Indian programmes and numbers.** *UPSC asked: solar tariff setting and silicon wafers (2018); which feedstocks the National Policy on Biofuels allows (2020); which industries green hydrogen can decarbonise and how it can be used (2023); that a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle emits only water vapour, distributed energy resources, sustainable aviation fuel feedstocks and pumped-storage hydropower (all 2024); and, in 2026, blue versus green hydrogen and the National Green Hydrogen Mission. Mains asked India's energy security challenges (2026), the 50 per cent renewables goal (2022) and the Green Grid Initiative (2021).* Three boxes: **where India stands** (capacity and targets), **the enabling technologies** (storage, hydrogen, nuclear, biofuels) and **the market tools** (carbon credits, labelling). ## Capacity, Storage, Hydrogen and Nuclear ## Where India stands - **Non-fossil share:** 51.93 per cent of installed capacity at the end of December 2025 (the target of 50 per cent was achieved nearly five years ahead of 2030). Total installed capacity was about **509.7 GW** on 30 November 2025; coal and lignite plants account for 226.23 GW. - **Renewables:** 38.61 GW added in 2025-26 up to 31 December 2025 (30.16 GW solar, 4.47 GW wind); solar has grown from 3 GW in 2014 to about **135.81 GW** and wind stands at **54.51 GW** (fourth highest in the world). India ranks **fourth in total installed renewable capacity**, after China, the USA and Brazil (IRENA). - **PM Surya Ghar** has installed 8 GW of rooftop solar; **PM-KUSUM** solarises agricultural pumps and feeders. - **Peak demand** met: 242.49 GW in June 2025. ## Storage, hydrogen and nuclear | **Technology** | **Key points** | | Pumped-storage hydropower | Moves water between two reservoirs to store energy for long periods (2024 PYQ: long-duration storage). Potential about 258 GW, with 7 GW developed; target of 57 GW by 2031-32 | | Battery energy storage (BESS) | Viability Gap Funding for 43,220 MWh; consumer-owned storage allowed by the 2025 Electricity Rules amendment | | Green hydrogen | Made by electrolysis with renewable power (not 'blue' hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture, 2026 PYQ). National Green Hydrogen Mission: 5 million tonnes a year by 2030; three hubs at the ports of Kandla (Deendayal), V.O. Chidambaranar and Paradip. Decarbonises fertiliser (ammonia), refineries and, with green steel, steel plants (2023 PYQ); can fuel engines, be blended into gas and power fuel cells (2023 PYQ) | | Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle | Emits only water vapour from the exhaust (2024 PYQ) | | Distributed energy resources | Small generators on the consumer's side of the meter: battery storage, biomass generators, fuel cells and rooftop solar all count (2024 PYQ) | | Nuclear | 8,780 MW installed; goal of 100 GW by 2047; Nuclear Energy Mission (₹20,000 crore; at least five small modular reactors by 2033); SHANTI Act (December 2025) opened the sector to private participation | ## Biofuels, Gas and the Carbon Market ## Biofuels, gas and carbon markets - **Ethanol blending** in petrol averaged **19.24 per cent** in the ethanol supply year 2024-25. The National Policy on Biofuels allows many bioethanol feedstocks: cassava, damaged wheat, rotten potatoes and sugar beet qualify, while groundnut seeds and horse gram do not (2020 PYQ). **PM JI-VAN Yojana** backs second-generation ethanol plants (Panipat, Numaligarh). - **Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF):** feedstocks include agricultural residues, corn grain, wastewater sludge and wood-mill waste (2024 PYQ). Indicative blending targets for international flights are 1 per cent in 2027, 2 per cent in 2028 and 5 per cent in 2030. - **Compressed bio-gas (SATAT):** over 130 plants commissioned; blending obligations in CNG and PNG began in 2025-26. **Natural gas pipelines** grew from 15,340 km in 2014 to 25,429 km (2025). - **Indian Carbon Market:** the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme has a **compliance mechanism** (greenhouse-gas intensity targets notified in October 2025 for aluminium, cement, chlor-alkali and pulp and paper, covering 282 entities; credit certificates are issued for beating the target) and a voluntary **offset mechanism**. - **Solar policy:** solar tariffs are set through regulation or competitive bidding, not by SECI alone, and India is not third in silicon wafers (2018 PYQ). ## How UPSC Could Ask This Next - **Colours of hydrogen:** green versus blue and grey, and end uses. - **Storage:** pumped storage, BESS and why variable renewables need them. - **Biofuels:** feedstocks, blending percentages and SAF targets. - **Numbers:** non-fossil share, solar and wind capacity, ranks. ## Further Reading - NCERT Biology (Class 12) and Geography textbooks, the India State of Forest Report, the MoEFCC Annual Report, the Economic Survey and the official lists cited in this note — the primary sources behind every figure above. ## Test Yourself: Practice Questions and PYQs Twelve practice questions on India's clean-energy capacity, storage, hydrogen, biofuels and carbon market, followed by the real UPSC Prelims questions and exact Mains questions. ## Practice Questions **Q1.** Green hydrogen is produced by - (a) nuclear fission - (b) electrolysis of water using renewable electricity - (c) coal gasification - (d) steam reforming of natural gas with carbon capture **Answer: (b)** — Hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture is blue hydrogen. **Q2.** The National Green Hydrogen Mission targets green hydrogen production of how much per year by 2030? - (a) 5 million tonnes - (b) 500 million tonnes - (c) 50 million tonnes - (d) 0.5 million tonnes **Answer: (a)** — Nearly 50 MMT of annual emissions abatement is the mission's associated aim. **Q3.** Which of the following industries can green hydrogen help decarbonise? 1. Fertiliser plants 2. Oil refineries 3. Steel plants - (a) 1, 2 and 3 - (b) 1 and 3 only - (c) 1 and 2 only - (d) 2 and 3 only **Answer: (a)** — UPSC's 2023 key: all three. **Q4.** A hydrogen fuel cell vehicle emits from its exhaust pipe only - (a) nitrogen oxides - (b) carbon dioxide - (c) water vapour - (d) methane **Answer: (c)** — Hydrogen reacts with oxygen to form water. **Q5.** Pumped-storage hydropower is discussed under - (a) tidal energy - (b) long-duration energy storage - (c) run-of-the-river schemes - (d) geothermal energy **Answer: (b)** — Water is moved between two reservoirs to store energy. **Q6.** Which of the following can be sustainable aviation fuel feedstocks? 1. Agricultural residues 2. Corn grain 3. Wastewater sludge 4. Wood-mill waste - (a) 3 and 4 only - (b) 1 and 2 only - (c) 2 and 3 only - (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 **Answer: (d)** — UPSC's 2024 key: all four. **Q7.** India's ethanol blending in petrol averaged what share in ESY 2024-25? - (a) 19.24 per cent - (b) 10 per cent - (c) 5 per cent - (d) 30 per cent **Answer: (a)** — The E20 target period is reached in 2025-26. **Q8.** Under the National Policy on Biofuels, which feedstocks can be used for bioethanol? 1. Cassava 2. Damaged wheat 3. Rotten potatoes 4. Sugar beet 5. Groundnut seeds 6. Horse gram - (a) 3, 4, 5 and 6 only - (b) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 - (c) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only - (d) 1, 2, 5 and 6 only **Answer: (c)** — UPSC's 2020 key lists cassava, damaged wheat, rotten potatoes and sugar beet. **Q9.** As of 31 December 2025, the share of non-fossil sources in India's installed capacity stood at about - (a) 30 per cent - (b) 51.93 per cent - (c) 40 per cent - (d) 70 per cent **Answer: (b)** — India crossed the 50 per cent mark nearly five years ahead of the 2030 goal. **Q10.** Where does India rank in total installed renewable energy capacity (IRENA 2025)? - (a) Second - (b) Fourth - (c) First - (d) Tenth **Answer: (b)** — After China, the USA and Brazil. **Q11.** The Carbon Credit Trading Scheme's compliance mechanism requires obligated entities to meet - (a) mandatory afforestation quotas - (b) a minimum solar share - (c) export quotas - (d) greenhouse gas emission intensity targets **Answer: (d)** — Entities beating the target earn carbon credit certificates; others buy certificates to cover shortfalls. **Q12.** The SHANTI Act, 2025 consolidates the Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act to - (a) regulate coal mining - (b) enable private-sector participation in nuclear power - (c) nationalise all power plants - (d) ban nuclear power **Answer: (b)** — It sets a graded liability framework without diluting victim compensation. ### UPSC Previous Year Questions (PYQs) *Real UPSC Prelims questions, checked against the official paper and answer key.* **Q1.** (2018) With reference to solar power production in India, consider the following statements: 1. India is the third largest in the world in the manufacture of silicon wafers used in photovoltaic units. 2. The solar power tariffs are determined by the Solar Energy Corporation of India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? - (a) Neither 1 nor 2 - (b) 2 only - (c) Both 1 and 2 - (d) 1 only **Answer: (a)** — India is not third in the world in making silicon wafers, and solar tariffs are set through CERC/SERC regulation or competitive bidding, not by SECI alone, so neither statement is correct. **Q2.** (2020) According to India's National Policy on Biofuels, which of the following can be used as raw materials for the production of biofuels? 1. Cassava 2. Damaged wheat grains 3. Groundnut seeds 4. Horse grams 5. Rotten potatoes 6. Sugar beet Select the correct answer using the code given below: - (a) 2, 3, 4 and 5 only - (b) 1, 2, 5 and 6 only - (c) 1, 3, 4 and 6 only - (d) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 **Answer: (b)** — India's National Policy on Biofuels allows many feedstocks for bioethanol: cassava, damaged wheat, rotten potatoes and sugar beet are allowed, while groundnut seeds and horse gram are not, so 1, 2, 5 and 6. **Q3.** (2023) Consider the following heavy industries : 1. Fertiliser plants 2. Oil refineries 3. Steel plants Green hydrogen is expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing how many of the above industries? - (a) All three - (b) Only one - (c) None - (d) Only two **Answer: (a)** — Green hydrogen is expected to decarbonise fertiliser plants (ammonia) and oil refineries and, with green steel, steel plants as well, so all three industries. **Q4.** (2023) With reference to green hydrogen, Consider the following statements : 1. It can be used directly as a fuel for internal combustion. 2. It can be blended with natural gas and used as fuel for heat or power generation. 3. It can be used in the hydrogen fuel cell to run vehicles. How many of the above statements are correct? - (a) None - (b) Only two - (c) Only one - (d) All three **Answer: (d)** — Green hydrogen can fuel internal-combustion engines, be blended into natural gas and power fuel-cell vehicles, so all three statements hold. **Q5.** (2024) Which one of the following is the exhaust pipe emission from Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles, powered by hydrogen? - (a) Oxygen - (b) Water vapour - (c) Hydrogen peroxide - (d) Hydronium **Answer: (b)** — A hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle emits only water vapour from its exhaust pipe. **Q6.** (2024) Consider the following: 1. Battery storage 2. Biomass generators 3. Fuel cells 4. Rooftop solar photovoltaic units How many of the above are considered “Distributed Energy Resources”? - (a) All four - (b) Only three - (c) Only two - (d) Only one **Answer: (a)** — Distributed energy resources are small generators on the consumer's side of the meter: battery storage, biomass generators, fuel cells and rooftop solar all count, so all four. **Q7.** (2024) Consider the following materials: 1. Agricultural residues 2. Corn grain 3. Wastewater treatment sludge 4. Wood mill waste Which of the above can be used as feedstock for producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel? - (a) 1, 3 and 4 only - (b) 3 and 4 only - (c) 1, 2, 3 and 4 - (d) 1 and 2 only **Answer: (c)** — Sustainable aviation fuel can use agricultural residues, corn grain, wastewater sludge and wood-mill waste as feedstock, so all four. **Q8.** (2024) Recently, the term “pumped-storage hydropower” is actually and appropriately discussed in the context of which one of the following? - (a) Long duration energy storage - (b) Lift irrigation of cereal crops - (c) Irrigation of terraced crop fields - (d) Rainwater harvesting system **Answer: (a)** — Pumped-storage hydropower moves water between two reservoirs to store energy for long periods, so it is discussed under long-duration energy storage. **Q9.** (2026, provisional key) Which of the following statements with regard to Green Hydrogen is/are correct ? 1. It is decarbonized hydrogen obtained from natural gas reforming combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS). 2. It is produced using electrolysis of water with electricity generated by renewable energy. 3. National Green Hydrogen Mission of India aims for abatement of nearly 50 MMT of annual greenhouse emissions by 2030. - (a) 1, 2 and 3 - (b) 2 and 3 only - (c) 2 only - (d) 1 only **Answer: (b)** — Hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture is blue hydrogen, not green, so 1 is wrong. Green hydrogen comes from electrolysis powered by renewables (2), and the National Green Hydrogen Mission aims at nearly 50 MMT of annual emissions abatement by 2030 (3). ### Mains Practice Questions Use these to frame full-length answers. You don't have to answer one exactly — they show the angles UPSC tests, so let them guide which points you cover. - Explain the key challenges for India's energy security. What measures would ensure energy security along with economic growth and sustainability? - Will India meet 50 per cent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030? How would shifting subsidies from fossil fuels help? - Explain the purpose of the Green Grid Initiative launched at COP26. When was the idea first floated in the International Solar Alliance? - Why does a grid with a high share of solar and wind need storage? Compare pumped storage and battery storage. - Assess the role of green hydrogen, nuclear power and biofuels in India's energy transition to 2047. ### UPSC Mains — Previous Years’ Questions on this topic (last 10 years) These are the **actual GS Mains questions** UPSC has asked on this theme — real proof of how, and when, it is tested. Try to write a full answer to each. - 2026 (GS-III): Explain the key challenges for India's energy security. What measures do you suggest for ensuring energy security along with economic growth and sustainability? (Answer in 250 words) - 2022 (GS-III): Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030 ? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective ? Explain. - 2021 (GS-III): Explain the purpose of the Green Grid Initiative launched at World Leaders Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, 2021. When was this idea first floated in the International Solar Alliance (ISA)?