Renewable power capacity in India to top 30,000 MW by 12th Plan

The ministry of new and renewable energy is envisaging power generation capacity of over 30,000 MW from renewable sources during the 12th Plan period (2012-2017). 

The year 2011 has seen a significant growth with a number of new initiatives in the renewable energy sector, especially in the wind energy sector, where over 2,800 MW of capacity was added resulting in grid-connected renewable power capacity crossing the 22,000 MW milestone, which is about 11 per cent of the total power generation capacity of the country, the ministry said in a release.

During the year, grid-connected solar power plants crossed the 100 MW milestone. In fact, SPV power plants of over 180 MW were set up in the country. Over 1,000 remote villages were electrified through renewable energy systems during this year. Over 50 MW off-grid installations were completed, it said.

The ministry of new and renewable energy has intensified the deployment of various renewable energy technologies in the country for grid connected power generation and to improve energy access in rural areas.

In the recent competitive solar tariff bidding, the tariff quoted are 50 per cent less than they were when the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission was launched just two years ago, the ministry noted.

Renewable power is now being extensively propagated and used to provide energy access to the remote, inaccessible and difficult areas of the country. During 2011, around 965 villages have been covered with solar lights and 30 villages have been covered with biomass gasifiers.