India’s Solar Capacity Touches 72 GW, Rajasthan Takes The Lead

India's Solar Capacity Touches 72 GW, Rajasthan Takes The Lead

India’s total installed capacity of solar power has touched 72 GW. The updated energy data from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) was shared on its website. The MNRE data states that the largest capacity came from ground-mounted solar. The latest data said that the Ground-mounted solar capacity stood at the highest of 55 GW.

The biggest beneficiary state in India for solar projects seemed to be Rajasthan. The western state reported a total capacity of around 18 GW. It means 25 percent of India’s solar capacity comes from Rajasthan alone. Gujarat followed it with 10 GW solar capacity.

The MNRE data stated that India has 55 GW of solar power from ground-mounted structures. Another 11 GW of solar energy capacity comes from rooftop solar. Hybrid solar had a total share of 2.5 GW while off-grid solar reported 2.6 GW capacity. 

India’s total wind energy capacity also touched 44.3 GW by October, MNRE said. The data showed that only eight Indian states reported wind capacities. Gujarat took the highest share with a total capacity of 11 GW. Tamil Nadu reported 10 GW capacity while Karnataka 5.3 GW.  Others included Gujarat (5.1 GW), Madhya Pradesh (2.8 GW), and others.  

Moreover, the government data also shed light on the bioenergy capacity. It said that India’s total bio-energy touched 10.8 GW. It comprised biomass, bagasse cogeneration, waste to energy, and off-grid waste to energy. Maharashtra remained the front-runner in bioenergy with a total capacity of 2.6 GW. Uttar Pradesh stood closer with 2.2 GW capacity. Others in the league included–Karnataka (1.9 GW) and Tamil Nadu (1 GW).

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The MNRE report said India’s total renewable energy (excluding hydro) touched 132 GW. However, India’s detailed capacity generation report from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) is still awaited.