According to the Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) report, Rajasthan has become the top state in India for solar power generation, with an installed capacity of 7,737.95 MW.
To make Rajasthan a leading state in the clean energy sector, the state has implemented Solar Energy Policy 2019, which has brought a revolutionary change in solar energy across Rajasthan.
Under this policy, Rs 34,200 crore were approved in the hybrid energy sector, especially in solar energy, in April last year.
Due to this policy, Rajasthan has become the preferred destination for investors in the clean energy sector from across India and worldwide. The state also witnessed an investment of Rs 10,000 crore in the clean energy sector.
According to the report, Gujarat has been ranked third with 5,708 MW capacity, Tamil Nadu fourth with 4675 MW, and Andhra Pradesh with 4,380 MW installed capacity.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Rajasthan has witnessed 2,348.47 MW of new solar power capacity installations in the last eight months.
Around 142 GW of solar power generation has been estimated in the state, for which the state government has prepared an effective plan. The state aims for 30 GW of solar power generation by 2024-25.
This year in February, Rajasthan was in the fourth position in new and renewable energy development, including wind and biopower, besides solar power. New and renewable generation in the state stood at 17,040.62 MW, followed by Gujarat with 16,587,90 MW and Tamil Nadu with 16,099 MW.
Rajasthan’s ground-mounted solar generation were 11,493.75 MW, 748.44 MW. The off-grid solar generation was 322.68 MW, 4326,82 MW in wind power and 125.08 MW in biopower.
The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) has targeted 20 GW solar installations by 2022.
Reliance New Energy Solar Limited (RNESL) will invest Rs 1 lakh crore in Rajasthan’s solar power.
Representative of RNESL, Umesh Bhandari, said that the company aims to set up 6,000 MW solar power projects in the districts of Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, and Bikaner. It could employ 10,000 persons by December 2025.
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has formed RNESL, investing Rs 100,000 for 10,000 equity shares of Rs 10 per unit.
RNESL will require one lakh acres of land to set up its solar plants in Rajasthan. The company plans to invest in the state after working on developing the Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex on 5,000 acres of land in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
The Solar Power Policy cleared customised investment proposals worth Rs 34,200 crore in the hybrid energy sector across the state. The solar power generation potential has been estimated at 142 GW due to its favourable geographical conditions.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said that the state government had set a target of 30 GW of solar power generation by 2024-25.
Rajasthan is already home to the world’s largest solar park, including the 2.25 GW Bhadla Solar Park in the Jodhpur district.
Presently, Adani Green Energy Limited is installing a 9,700 MW solar and hybrid project on 20,000 hectares of land in Rajasthan.
Other companies include RePower, which is setting up a 10,000 MW project, JSW Steel Limited, installing a 10,000 MW project and Greenco, installing a 4500 MW solar power plant in western Rajasthan.
This month, Azure Power commissioned a 600 MW grid-connected solar power project awarded by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The company has been commissioning the project in phases, with the last 100 MW going online.