New Delhi, Jan 1 (IANS) As India ushers in New Year, it rounded off 2024 with 214 GW installed green energy capacity, according to figures compiled by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, while the country is firmly on track to meet its ambitious target of achieving 500 GW energy capacity from non-fossil fuels by 2030.
Between April and November last year, India added nearly 15 GW of renewable energy capacity, almost double the 7.57 GW added during the same period last year.
“As we step into 2025, India stands tall as a global lighthouse of sustainable development. Our achievements aren’t merely about meeting targets; they’re about reimagining what’s possible in the worldwide energy transition,” said Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi.
India crossed the 200 GW milestone of total installed renewable energy capacity in September 2024. The total installed non-fossil fuel capacity further increased to 214 GW in November which is an increase of over 14 per cent as compared to the 187.05 GW in the same period last year.
“Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s transformative leadership, 2024 has marked a great moment in India’s renewable energy journey. Our achievement of more than 214 GW from non-fossil sources isn’t just a number – it represents our nation’s unwavering commitment to reaching our ambitious 500 GW goal by 2030,” Joshi said.
The country’s solar energy capacity reached 94.17 GW in 2024 while the wind energy capacity was at 47.96 GW. The country’s total installed and pipeline solar projects combined stand (as on Nov 2024) at 261.15 GW, reflecting a strong pipeline for future growth and expansion in the solar sector.
Within just 10 months of its launch, ‘PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana’ (PMSGMBY) has achieved 7 lakh installations — an average of 70,000 per month. This marks a 10-fold increase in monthly installations compared to the average of 7,000 per month prior to the launch of the scheme in February 2024.
States such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh have demonstrated exceptional progress, reflecting robust infrastructure and stakeholder collaboration.
Launched with an outlay of Rs 75,021 crore, the scheme targets installation of rooftop solar in one crore households, provides up to 300 units free electricity monthly and offers subsidies ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 78,000 per household.
The government has also issued guidelines for ‘Incentives to DISCOMs’ with a financial outlay of Rs 4,950 crore, covering net meter availability and installation facilitation.
Considerable progress has been made under the PM KUSUM scheme with over 2.95 lakh standalone off-grid solar water pumps being installed to help farmers with the setting up of 10,000 MW decentralized solar plants on their land.
As many as 35 lakh grid-connected agriculture pumps have been solarized under the scheme and about 11.34 GW of solar energy capacity has been installed during January to November 2024.
On the wind energy front, as of November 2024, India’s cumulative wind power capacity stands at 47.96 GW. The country’s total installed and pipeline wind energy projects (as on Nov 2024) add up to 74.44 GW, driving continued progress in renewable energy. Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu have emerged as the leading states in wind capacity addition during FY 2023-24.
The ministry also continues with the implementation of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, approved with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore. The mission aims to establish India as a global hub for green hydrogen production and export.
–IANS
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