State got 1,242cr MNRE aid for solar projects in FY 22 – EQ Mag Pro
AHMEDABAD: With an attractive solar rooftop scheme and a greater push for adoption of solar power generation, Gujarat commands the lion share of financial aid from the Union ministry of new and renewable energy for solar projects.
According to data tabled in Parliament, Gujarat received Rs 1,242.71 crore in financial aid from the ministry of a total amount of Rs 2,633 crore disbursed to all other states in 2021-22. This means, the state got 47% of the funds disbursed. According to top sources in the Gujarat Energy Development Authority (GEDA), the scale of solar power projects has grown dramatically in the state. The state already has installed capacity of 7,806.8MW of solar power generation.
“Gujarat has taken the lead among Indian states when it comes to solar power adoption through the rooftop solar policy of the state government. The state already has 2,163MW of rooftop capacity as on 2021-22, which makes up nearly a third of the installed solar power generation capacity here,” said a source. Moreover, nearly 2,000MW of power generation capacity was added in the state in the previous fiscal year.
Putting solar power projects in the state in perspective, Pranav Mehta, chairman, National Solar and Sustainable Energy Federation of India, said, “Gujarat is quite naturally and legitimately on top in receiving central financial assistance, the greater part of which is for solar rooftop programmes here. Gujarat’s climate change department and NSEFI played a pivotal role in popularizing the rooftop project by creating awareness and consequently adoption and implementation has been extensive.”
Riding robust demand from the industrial and residential fronts, Gujarat is expected to witness capacity addition of an estimated 15 gigawatts (GW) in Solar PV manufacturing in the state over the next couple of years, from the current 6.2GW capacity.
Source: PTI
