IEA sees India third top energy consumer

MUMBAI: India will overtake the European Union as the world's third-largest energy consumer by 2030, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said as it forecast India accounting for the biggest share of energy demand growth over the next two decades.

In its India Energy Outlook 2021, IEA saw primary energy consumption almost doubling to 1,123 million tonnes of oil equivalent as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expands to USD 8.6 trillion by 2040.

India at present is the fourthlargest global energy consumer behind China, the United States and the European Union.

Underpinned by "a rate of GDP growth that adds the equivalent of another Japan to the world economy by 2040", India will overtake the European Union by 2030 to move up to the third position, it said in the report.

India accounts for nearly onequarter of global energy demand growth from 2019-40 -- the largest for any country. Its share in the growth in renewable energy is the second-largest in the world, after China, IEA said.

"By 2040, India's power system is bigger than that of the European Union, and is the world's thirdlargest in terms of electricity generation; it also has 30 per cent more installed renewables capacity than the United States," it said.

A five-fold increase in per capita car ownership will result in India leading the oil demand growth in the world. Also, it will become the fastest-growing market for natural gas, with demand more than tripling by 2040.

"India's continued industrialisation becomes a major driving force for the global energy economy. Over the last three decades, India accounted for about 10 per cent of world growth in industrial value-added (in PPP ter ms)," the report said.

By 2040, India is set to account for almost 20 per cent of global growth in industrial value-added, and to lead global growth in industrial final energy consumption, especially in steelmaking.

The nation accounts for nearly one-third of global industrial energy demand growth to 2040.