Over 7.5 GW of RE Capacity Commissioned up to December 2019: RK Singh

RK Singh has informed that just over 7.5 GW of new renewable energy (RE) capacity has been commissioned in the financial year 19-20 up to December 2019.

Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, RK Singh in response to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha has informed that just over 7.5 GW (7592 MW) of new renewable energy (RE) capacity has been commissioned in the financial year 19-20 up to December 2019.

“Another 34,160 MW RE capacity is under various stages of implementation. It is expected that renewable energy capacity addition in the year 2019-20 will exceed the capacity addition achieved in the year 2018-19, which was 8,532 MW,” he said while replying to the question.

The minister also added that most of the grid-connected renewable energy projects in the country were being implemented by the private sector developers selected through a transparent competitive bidding process.

“Capital investment made by these developers is their privileged information. However, based on standard capital costs per MW, an investment of Rs 40,460 crore is estimated to have been made in the renewables sector in the year 2018-19. And an investment of Rs 36,729.5 crore is estimated to have been made in the year 2019-20 up to December 2019,” Singh added.

Replying the a question on the reasons for financial and operational inefficiencies of Discoms, he said that the reasons were tariffs not being reflective of costs, delays in tariff filings, delays and non-release or partial release of subsidies released by states against the supplies made to subsidised categories, and high Aggregate Technical and Commercial loss levels, amongst others.

The minister informed that to ensure timely payment to renewable energy generators, the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has been extending short-term securitised loans to discoms at preferential rates. Informing that in the financial year so far, the agency has disbursed Rs 900 crore to Telangana, Rs 1,200 crore to Andhra Pradesh and Rs 450 crore to Tamil Nadu.

The minister had previously informed that Discoms in India suffered losses amounting to Rs 27,000 crore in the 2018-19 financial year. He noted that the discoms were facing issues related to purchasing power, maintenance, and others. “I have to help the discoms of all states to make them viable by reducing their losses,” he had said.