By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : January 06, 2021 10:10 am
Renewable energy now constitutes over 24 per cent of the country’s installed power capacity and around 11.62% of the electrical energy generation.
India’s total renewable energy installed capacity (excluding hydro power above 25 MW) has reached over 89.63 GW as on 31st October 2020.
During the last 6 years, India has witnessed the fastest rate of growth in renewable energy capacity addition among all large economies, with renewable energy capacity growing by 2.5 times and solar energy expanding by over 13 times.
Renewable energy now constitutes over 24 per cent of the country’s installed power capacity and around 11.62% of the electrical energy generation. If large hydro is included, the share of renewable energy in electric installed capacity would be over 36% and over 26% of the electric energy generation.
Around 49.59 GW renewable energy capacity is under installation, and an additional 27.41 GW capacity has been tendered. This makes the total capacity that is already commissioned and in the pipeline about 166.63 GW. Further, large hydro power, which has also been declared as renewable energy has about 45 GW hydro installed capacity and 13 GW capacity under installation. This brings our total renewable energy portfolio of installed and in pipeline projects to 221 GW.
The Indian government decided in 2015 that 175 GW of renewable energy capacity will be installed by the year 2022. This includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from biomass and 5 GW from small hydro power. With the accomplishment of these ambitious targets, India will become one of the largest green energy producers in the world, surpassing several developed countries.
This is in line with India’s commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 33 to 35 percent below 2005 levels, and to achieve 40 percent of installed electric power capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030.