India Crosses 5 GW Solar Power Installed Capacity Milestone
India marked yet another milestone in its quest to become one of the largest solar power markets in the world.
According to a report by consultancy firm Bridge To India, the total solar power installed capacity in India has now crossed 5 GW; including 4.7 GW of utility-scale solar and 525 MW of rooftop solar power capacity. According to the report, around 2 GW worth of capacity has been added this year.
According to the latest figures released by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, solar power has overtaken biomass-based power generation technology as India’s second largest renewable energy technology, in terms of installed capacity.
Solar power capacity in India is expected to shoot up rapidly over the next few years as the central government and several state governments have lined up large tenders. In a document released in early October, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy noted that around 4.8 GW capacity will be up for grabs over the next 6 months.
In the current financial year (April 2015-March 2016) the Indian government expects to add 4.3 GW solar power capacity. In the next financial year, around 10.8 GW capacity is expected to be added. If these estimates hold true, India will have around 19 GW of operational solar power capacity by March 2017. India plans to have an installed solar power power capacity of 100 GW by March 2022.
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India plans to have an installed solar power power capacity of 100 GW by March 2022.
That’s insane and cool because we can make electricity from everything.
Now they produce from:
Coal – 168GW
Gas – 23GW
Diesel – 1GW
Nuclear – 5,8GW
Hydro – 25,5GW
Wind – 9,6GW
Total renewable – 78,5GW
I hope the ramp up in capacity addition is faster. As of March 2015, the installed capacity was at 3.7 GW for utility scale Solar. As per the Renewable Energy Ministry, as of 30th November, this was at 4.8 GW.
Addition of 1100 MW over 3.7 GW in 8 months is a great start, but considering the mammoth target of 60 GW for utility scale project by 2022, this needs to grow faster.
Hopefully the numerous auctions concluded recently will ensure this happens.
Hopefully we’ll see the prices keep coming down. First to the point where you can’t get a coal plant built, and then to the point where the existing FF plants start loosing money.
Let’s compare with China.
China set to add another 5.3 GW of installed solar power this year on top of its earlier 17.8 GW goal, the country has raised its overall solar installation target for 2015 by 30%.
The Chinese government is aiming to increase the share of non-fossil fuels from 11% at the end of 2014 to 15% by 2020 in an effort to meet its climate vows to the United Nations.
China Generating Capacity 2014:
Coal – 907GW
Gas, bio-mass – 135GW
Nuclear – 21
Hydro – 300GW
Wind – 90
Solar – 28
So much coal is really bad. They use so much electricity because they have the bigest industry.
All true, but, they are implementing green dispatch, which should reduce curtailment of renewables, are installing UHV grid connections to help move the power, are installing renewables faster than anybody, and their economy is shifting. Also, they now recognise they have a pollution problem that is costing them, and are trying to reduce it. One last thing. Their CO2 emissions went down last year for the first time ever.
Great Move. Extremely useful one for future.
Anacra, Bibilla