India can achieve 200 GW renewable energy by 2022: Power Minister R K Singh

Regarding clarity on GST rates on Solar panels, Kumar said that the MNRE is in talks with the Ministry of Finance and in the next 7-10 days all the issues would be resolved.
Image used for representational purpose only
Image used for representational purpose only

NEW DELHI: The government will auction 17 giga watt (Gw) solar capacity by March 2018 and another 30 Gw each in 2018-19 and 2019-20, R K Singh, minister for power and new & renewable energy, said on Friday.

He also announced the trajectory for achieving its targets of commissioning 175 Gw of renewable energy, 100 Gw of solar generating capacity and 60 Gw of wind power, by 2022.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India on Friday signed power supply agreements with utilities of Odisha, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam and Punjab.

 To achieve this, the ministry, along with the states, would lay out bids for ground-mounted solar parks for 20 Gw in 2017-18, out of which 3.6 Gw has already been bid out. Three Gw will be bid out in December 2017, three Gw in January 2018, five Gw in February 2018 and 6 Gw will be bid out in March 2018. Another 30 Gw will be bid out in 2018-19 and 30 Gw in 2019-20, Anand Kumar, Secretary MNRE explained.

In addition to encourage the Make in India programme, MNRE is working out the scheme and will issue an Expression of Interest (EoI) for establishing domestic manufacturing facilities to the tune of 20 Gw, in the near future. It also plans to achieve additional installed RE capacity through ‘floating solar power plants over dams, offshore wind energy systems and hybrid solar-wind power systems, which may provide over 10 Gw additional capacity.

A team of experts has already surveyed the Bhakra Nangal dam for floating solar power plants and off-shore Gujarat and Tamil Nadu for wind power plants, the minister added.

Regarding clarity on GST rates on solar panels, Kumar said MNRE is in talks with the finance ministry and in the next 7-10 days all the issues would be resolved.

He said with wind power tariffs becoming competitive and state discoms encouraged to buy more of renewable energy power, the government has doubled the auction capacity for the third national level wind auction from 4 Gw last year to around 9 Gw in the current year.

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