Page 4 - AsiaElec Week 49 2021

AsiaElec COMMENTARY AsiaElec

Are India’s 100-GW solar

ambitions within reach?

INDIA INDIA’S Minister of New and Renewable Energy place by 2022, just 7 GW was up and running at
(MNRE), Raj Kumar Singh, announced to the the start of 2021.
nation’s parliament last week that India currently The news of India’s push to 100 GW of solar
has 107.46 GW of fully installed solar, or in-part was not welcomed with open arms throughout
completed, projects on its books. the country, however, as many in India’s busi-
The announcement was seen as confirmation ness community still see the installation of solar
of the national goal of reaching 100 GW of fully power and other renewable energy projects as
installed solar energy facilities online and oper- largely benefiting northern states controlled by
ational being achievable within the next twelve the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by
months. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including Guja-
Breaking down the numbers, in his written rat and Uttar Pradesh.
address to India’s Upper House of Parliament, Many of the large-scale installations thus far
the minister also said that as of October 31 have been sited in the states of Karnataka, with
this year, 42.26 GW of connected capacity was over 15.5 GW of installed solar, and Gujarat with
already in place. 14 GW. Both are solidly BJP, with only Tamil
Furthermore, a total of 36.65 GW of solar Nadu in the south-east of India, with 15.5 GW,
capacity is at various stages of completion, with a a non-BJP stronghold, demonstrating the ability
further 24.45 GW having been tendered. to attract large-scale solar plants.
Whilst not a ‘new’ goal for India, the addition Much of the rest of the heavily populated
of just over 7.5 GW in the current fiscal year to regions of eastern and southern India, besides
date in addition to 9 GW in the previous year is Tamil Nadu, is still severely lacking in renewables
slowly pushing the total towards the desired fig- infrastructure, solar in particular.
ure of 100 GW. This has led to one Delhi-based non-profit
Data released by India’s Central Electrical organisation with its finger on India’s energy
Authority (CEA), though, is less positive. pulse, the Centre for Science and Environment,
According to the CEA, when the nationwide speaking through its director of climate change
solar total of installed capacity was just 43.94 and renewable energy earlier this year, saying:
GW at the start of August, efforts to reach the “The capacity predicted at (our) end is 150 GW
100 GW goal would require installations to be (of total installed renewable energy) by 2025, and
quadrupled for the rest of the year. 400 GW by 2030.”
This is posing a particular problem for roof- By comparison, the MNRE headed by Raj
mounted solar installations. Kumar Singh claims to be aiming at a 2030 total
Overall, India’s target will be met by a split of of 450 GW.
60 GW of large-scale ground-mounted panels, Competing for attention with India’s solar
and 40 GW of roof-mounted solar. push, hydro-related projects across India are
In cities across India, though, smaller-scale on course to meet a goal of 175 GW of installed
projects are being limited in how much capacity capacity in a similar timeframe, with 150 GW
they can add to local grids as a result of restrictive of large- and smaller-scale projects already
local state fire laws and a National Building Code installed.
that limits panel installation to buildings over a This figure, coupled with another 95.7 GW of
certain height. hydro capacity still being implemented or at the
The effect of these limits meant that of the 40 bidding stage, could push the total to almost 250
GW of roof-mounted solar supposed to be in GW of total hydro capacity in the near future. ™

P4 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 49 08•December•2021