Ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS), the Gujarat government has chalked out an action plan to increase the share of renewable energy in the total energy generation from 10 per cent to 17 per cent by 2022.
To achieve the target, the State government looks to add 1,000 MW of wind power and 3,000 MW of solar power projects each year till 2022, informed a top government official.
Investments
The renewable projects will entail huge investment from the project developers. The estimated per megawatt cost for renewable energy is pegged at ₹4 crore, working out to about ₹16,000 crore worth of investment each year till 2022, by when the Centre aims to install 175 GW of renewable energy capacities in the country.
Pankaj Joshi, Managing Sirector, Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL), said, “Out of the total installed energy capacity of 27,200 MW in the State renewable share is 28 per cent, while in the generation front, this share is just 10 per cent. We propose to take it to 17 per cent by 2022. We have chalked out an action plan for this. Under this, we propose to add around 1,000 MW of Wind and 3,000 MW of Solar energy capacities every year.”
The State has about 19,400 MW of installed capacity for conventional energy generation, while about 7,800 MW is the renewable energy.
‘Vast potential’
Addressing media here, Raj Gopal, State Additional Chief Secretary, Energy and Petrochemicals Department, said, “Gujarat is second largest producer of wind energy in the country, while it has 8 per cent of India’s total installed solar power. The State has immense potential for generation of renewable energy, with estimated figure of over 100 GW.”
“Since the first Vibrant Gujarat Summit in 2003, over 100 large investments have fructified in Gujarat in the Renewable Energy sector. These investments total over ₹40,000 crore,” Raj Gopal added.
Source: thehindubusinessline
