India To Add 2 GW Solar Power Capacity In Next 3 Months
India is expected to significantly overachieve on its solar power capacity addition target for the financial year 2015-16, a consultancy firm has projected.
Solar consultancy firm Bridge to India expects that around 2 GW of solar power capacity is expected to be added between January and March 2016. A large portion of this capacity is expected to be developed across four states – Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
India has already managed to add around 1.1 GW solar power capacity during the first 9 months of the financial year 2015-16. The capacity addition target for the financial year, however, was 1.4 GW. So, as per Bridge to India the total capacity addition for the financial year, that ends 31 March 2016, will be around 3.1 GW.
The Indian Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, however, had projected higher numbers in a report released in October 2015, estimating that 4,345 MW solar power capacity would be added between April 2015 and March 2016.
Giving a state-wise breakout of the expected capacity addition, the ministry stated that 1,214 MW capacity would be added in Tamil Nadu and 1,166 MW capacity would be added in Telangana. The two states alone would thus contribute over 50% of the total capacity addition expected. Madhya Pradesh (432 MW), Andhra Pradesh (350 MW), and Punjab (229 MW) would also contribute significantly through their solar power policies.
Under the central policy, projects would continue to be commissioned that were allocated under the auction of Batch I Phase II of the National Solar Mission. The auction was held in mid-2013 and projects were allocated in early 2014. A total capacity of 750 MW was allocated under the auction. A majority of this capacity is already operational, however, 330 MW capacity is yet to be commissioned and is expected to come online by March 2016.
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