127 GW Of Renewable Projects Under Tendering Process: Govt

127 GW Of Renewable Projects Under Tendering Process: Govt

Minister of State (MoS) for Power Shripad Naik in a statement before the Parliament said that around 127 GW of renewable projects are under the tendering process in the country. The MoS in his statement talked about the strides the country is taking to boost its green energy portfolio. He said India currently has a total renewable energy capacity of around 203 GW.

This comes at a time when the country is aiming to increase its renewable capacities to meet its ambitious goals. In its commitments before the United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change (UNFCCC), India has planned to go net-zero by 2070. It also plans to ensure 50% of its total energy capacity from non-fossil fuels.

The ministry also shed light on the rising peak power demand in the country. He said told the Parliament that the country experienced its highest peak power demand of 249.85 GW May 2024, which was successfully met.

The minister explained: “There has been consistent growth in peak demand and energy requirements in the country due to rapid economic growth in recent years, the provision of new electricity connections to households, and increased supply hours in urban and rural areas.”

Decline In Unmet Demand

He also shared details about the country’s power supply for the past three years and the current year up to October 2024. The data revealed a decline in unmet demand from 4.0% to 0.001% (as of October). The unmet demand reduced from 8,657 MW in 2023 to just 2 MW in 2024–25 (up to October 2024). This indicates that there is adequate power availability in the country.

Unmet Power Demand

Change Renewable Energy Sourcing 

In his written reply, the minister mentioned: “The present installed generation capacity of the country is 4,54,452 MW. The Government of India has addressed the critical issue of power deficiency by adding 2,22,500 MW of generation capacity since April 2014, transforming our country from power deficit to power sufficient. To augment power generation capacity, the Government of India has initiated the following capacity addition programs:

1. There are 6,050 MW of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) under construction, and 50,760 MW of PSPs are in various stages of planning, targeted for completion by 2031–32.
2. The country’s installed renewable energy (RE) capacity is 2,03,215 MW. Additionally, 1,27,050 MW of RE capacity is under construction, and 89,690 MW is at various stages of tendering. India is committed to augmenting its non-fossil fuel-based installed electricity generation capacity to over 5,00,000 MW by 2030.

The minister further explained: “Electricity, being a concurrent subject, means that the supply and distribution of electricity to consumers in a state or union territory falls under the jurisdiction of the respective State Government or Power Utility. Arranging the appropriate quantum of power from various sources to meet the demand of different electricity consumers in a state or union territory is the responsibility of the concerned State Government and the State Electricity Regulatory Commission.