Rajasthan: Powering India’s renewable energy future

Rajasthan has a pool of large-scale solar projects to its name, some under construction and many in the pipeline. This is largely because of Rajasthan’s reputation as a leader in the renewable energy sector, especially solar energy. Due to abundant sunshine and conducive policies, Rajasthan has emerged as India's ‘solar powerhouse’. Recently, Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma paved the way for setting up of four more solar projects— two 1000 MW plants and one 450 MW plant in the Bikaner district, and a 500 MW solar project in Phalodi district of the state. In May, Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services (RUVITL) invited bids to develop 8,000 MW solar projects in the state, showing the state’s solar ambitions.

The aggressive RE capacity addition is also in line with Rajasthan’s ambitious target of achieving 65 GW of installed solar power and 90 GW of overall renewable capacity of the state by 2030. This signifies Rajasthan’s crucial role in helping India achieve its national target of 500 GW of electricity generation through non-fossil fuel sources by the end of this decade. Remarkably, Rajasthan’s overall solar energy generation potential is estimated at 142 GW.

‘Solar energy capital of India’

With its focus on renewable energy addition, particularly solar, Rajasthan is rapidly emerging as the solar energy capital of India. As per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy data, Rajasthan has a cumulative installed solar capacity of 22, 415.22 MW as on June 2024, much ahead of the second-placed Gujarat at 14, 358.61 MW. Rajasthan is also the home to the world’s largest solar park—Bhadla Solar Park, spread over 14,000 acres in Jodhpur district of the state.

World’s largest renewable energy plant

However, Gujarat is not far behind in terms of big-ticket RE projects. It is developing the world’s largest green energy plant. Spearheaded by Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL), the monumental 30 GW hybrid renewable energy (solar + wind) project will be spread over an area of 726 square kilometers in the Rann of Kutch desert in Gujarat.? Khavda, located in the Kutch district of Gujarat, is a promising location for wind and solar energy projects with ~2,060 kWh/m2 of high solar irradiation and wind speeds of ~8 meters per second.

With the first phase of 1,000 MW already operational, this project is poised to significantly boost India's renewable energy capacity and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Upon completion, the 30, 000 MW RE park will generate humongous 81 billion units of clean electricity annually, enough to power 16.1 million households each year. Besides, it will help India cut 58 million tons of CO2 emissions and generate over 15, 200 green jobs per year.

Solar boom in Gujarat and Rajasthan is a testament to the states’ commitment to renewable energy and their crucial role in India's energy transition. The approval and implementation of new large-scale green energy projects are set to significantly impact the states’ economy, provide environmental benefits, and contribute massively to India's overall renewable energy goals.?

#SolarPark #RenewableEnergy #SolarEnergy #SolarPowerPlant #RenewableEnergyPark #RenewableEnergyPlant #SolarPower #SunkindEnergy #Rajasthan #Gujarat #adanigreen #BhadlaSolarPark #KhavdaPowerPlant #KhavdaSolarPark #WorldLargestRenewableEnergyPark #worldsLargestGreenEnergyPark