Gujarat Dominates India’s Rooftop Solar And Wind Landscape

GANDHINAGAR -Gujarat accounts for the largest share of India’s installed renewable energy capacity, contributing 17.82 percent of the national total, with the state’s cumulative capacity reaching 50.386 GW, according to figures released on July 9 ahead of Global Energy Independence Day, observed annually on July 10.

India has set a target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070 and meeting 50 percent of its electricity requirements from renewable energy sources by 2030. Gujarat’s latest figures underline the state’s role in meeting those national objectives.

According to the state government, Gujarat has the highest installed wind power capacity in the country at 15,850.56 MW and ranks second in installed solar power capacity with 32,302.7 MW.

The state also leads India in rooftop solar deployment, with more than 13 lakh installations having a combined capacity of 7,408.10 MW.

Gujarat’s total installed solar capacity includes ground-mounted, rooftop, hybrid and off-grid projects, including installations under the PM-KUSUM scheme.

The Khavda Renewable Energy Park in Kutch, planned to have a capacity of 37.35 GW, is described by the government as the world’s largest green energy project. By May, projects with a combined capacity of 15.54 GW had been commissioned at the site.

The state government said rooftop solar adoption has accelerated since residential incentive schemes were introduced in 2016 and continued following the launch of the PM Surya Ghar scheme. Gujarat now accounts for more than 21 percent of all rooftop solar installations in the country.

The state has also commissioned 2,838.07 MW of wind-solar hybrid projects under the 2018 Hybrid Policy and the Gujarat Renewable Energy Policy 2023.

The state government estimates that growth in the renewable energy sector has generated around 2.37 lakh direct and indirect jobs across Gujarat.

It attributed the sector’s expansion to policy initiatives introduced over the past three decades, beginning with Gujarat becoming the first state in India to introduce a Wind Power Policy in 1993. (IANS)