Greentech Lead India: Government of India is planning to create
1100 MW of grid connected solar power by 2013 and 20,000 MW by 2022 under
Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). The overall investment may be
approximately $ 40 billion for 20,000 MW of solar power projects.
The country currently generates 205340.26 MW, of which 24832.68 MW is generated
through renewable energy sources. The total installed capacity in the country
is likely to be more than 400 GW by 2022. JNNSM aims at achieving
one-twentieth of the India’s total installed capacity by 2022.
JNNSM provides a policy framework which includes
provision of solar specific Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs), mechanism of
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to complement solar RPOs, and reduced
custom duty and excise exemption on imports for initial setting up of solar
power projects in the country.
The country has already connected 1030 MW of solar power
projects to grid and is nearing the projected target set to achieve in 2013.
The estimated generation of electricity per megawatt
capacity of solar power plant in India is 1.6 million units per year. For the
installed capacity so far, it comes out to 1664 million units per year.
The Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Dr.
Farooq Abdulla said that the government has taken necessary actions to address
the Issues like upgradation of transmission network, availability of
unallocated power for bundling, delay in payment by DISCOMS, weak State Nodal
Agencies.
A transmission network up gradation plan has been
prepared by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited. Ministry of Power has been
requested for giving unallocated power. Payments from DISCOMS are being
monitored continuously and States are being requested to upgrade Nodal
Agencies.
National Tariff Policy mandates State discoms to have a
solar RPO of 0.25 percent by 2013 and set to reach 3 percent by 2022.
Government has already implemented a scheme to procure 1000 MW of solar power
and supplying it to State discoms after bundling with equivalent capacity of
thermal power.
editor@greentechlead.com