As the nation began to recover from the COVID-19 epidemic, delayed projects were restarted, and new projects were put out to bid throughout the country. Thermal energy contributed the most to total energy consumption in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021-22, but the percentage of renewables increased in each of the following quarters, primarily to solar power installations.
According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, Rajasthan has become the first state in India to achieve 10 GW of cumulative large-scale solar installations, a significant milestone. The state has a total of 32.5 GW of installed power capacity, with renewables accounting for 55% of that capacity, followed by thermal energy accounting for 43% and nuclear energy accounting for the remaining 2% of total installed capacity.
Rajasthan has some of the greatest levels of sun irradiation in the nation, as well as other beneficial conditions such as land availability and a low incidence of power outages. These favourable circumstances have also prompted other states, like as Maharashtra, to establish power-generation plants in Rajasthan in order to meet their energy needs.
Other notable projects include those built by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), as well as those established under the Rajasthan State Solar Policy. Solar energy is the most prevalent source, accounting for around 36 percent of total power capacity and 64 percent of renewable energy capacity today.
Following the Supreme Court decision, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy issued a notification in February 2022 stating that all renewable energy projects currently under construction, whether wholly or partially located within the priority or potential territory of the GIB, would be granted a 30-day extension on the scheduled date of commissioning following the judgement. The commissioning of projects that have been delayed owing to the non-completion of project transmission infrastructure is included in this category.
Approximately 16 GW of solar projects are under construction or planned in Rajasthan, according to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker. The total amount of SECI-awarded projects is 11.6 GW, with 6.2 GW of it being interstate transmission system (ISTS) developments. Installations rose despite the fact that numerous projects were halted as a result of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) problem.
This year, Rajasthan released its Solar Energy Policy 2019, which aims to achieve the state’s 30-gigatonne (GW) solar energy target by the fiscal year 2024-25. Utility-scale or grid-scale solar parks will account for 24 GW of this total, distributed production will account for 4 GW, and rooftop solar and solar pumps will contribute for 1 GW apiece.
Recently, the state-owned THDC India signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to develop 10 GW of solar power projects in Rajasthan via a 74:36 joint venture with Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited, including an investment of 100 billion (about $1.33 billion) in total.
Reference:- https://mercomindia.com/rajasthan-first-10-gw-solar-state/