Solar and wind energy projects of over 21,142 Megawatt (Mw) are currently under construction in India, according to report by Central Electricity Authority.
This is over and above the 88,000 MW already installed generation capacity based on the two clean resources.
Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the country’s apex power sector planning body, said in a report the projects are getting built across key resource-rich states including Rajasthan, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh and were bid out under multiple schemes.
The report also said the government had tendered projects with 31,500 MW capacity of which 23,246 MW capacity projects were awarded to developers.
These projects were tendered under programmes such as the Solar Energy Corporation of India’s 2-GW ISTS-connected scheme, 750 MW Rajasthan projects, 150 MW grid-connected floating solar PV plants, 750 MW Kadapa solar park project, the CPSU scheme’s tranche-I of 2 GW and tranche-II of 1,500 MW, and nine tranches of SECI’s wind schemes.
The data of under construction renewable energy projects shared in the report also showed time over-runs across multiple projects.
Mahindra Renewables’ 250-MW project in Rajasthan — to be developed in Jodhpur and bidded under the 2-GW ISTS-connected solar project scheme — has been rescheduled to 31 January 2021 from the earlier date of 25 October 2020.
Similarly, ACME’s Deoghar solar project had an original scheduled completion date of 8 November, 2020, which has now been shifted to 7 January, 2022.
The report also said of the 61 solar energy projects tendered by SECI, 42 have availed timeline extension due to the COVID-19 pandemic in line with the government’s earlier Order.
Many projects in the wind energy sector have also seen rescheduling of commissioning dates including three projects by Inox Wind, won under the tranche-III scheme, have been shifted from 24 November, 2019 to 8 April, 2021.
The delay in project construction is due to delays in execution of power purchase and power supply agreements; land allocation issues; delay in finalisation of ISTS substation location; and delay in readiness of power evacuation infrastructure.
CEA said the data shared in the report was collected from SECI, MNRE and RE developers.