Solar generation capacity to cross 20,000 MW in next 15 months

The Dollar Business Bureau

Power and Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said India’s solar power generation capacity would most likely cross 20,000 MW over the next 15 months from its current capacity of 10,000 MW.

"On 10th of March this year the installed solar power capacity in India has crossed 10,000 MW, four times the installed capacity three years back, which in next 15 months would cross 20,000 MW," a Power Ministry said in a statement.

Speaking at a media event, Goyal said: "India could not have completely focused on Making in India' in the last three years as being in the nascent stage, its solar power sector needed a technological and financial boost from abroad to rapidly expand its horizons."

The Indian solar power sector has recorded an impressive growth over the last decade. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India self-reliant for its energy needs and a projected 90% quantum growth for the sector in 2017, India is well on its course to become self-reliant in meeting its Green Energy needs.

Currently, about 14 GW of utility solar projects are in the pipeline, of which 7.7 GW is slated to be commissioned this year. The energy sector is expected to add another 1.1 GW of rooftop solar capacity, taking the total to 8.8 GW in 2017.This year, India is also expected to be amongst the top three global markets after China and the USA. India had added around 4 GW of solar capacity last year.

The government has set a target to achieve 100 GW of solar and 60 GW of wind energy capacity by 2022. India’s total renewable energy generation capacity is targeted at 175 GW by 2022.

“The country has shown to the world that it is a big marketplace for manufacturing in the solar power sector and international investors and manufacturers have started setting up manufacturing units in the country,” Goyal noted.

Goyal also urged the Indian solar industry to scale up manufacturing of silicon wafer industry and solar cells in India.