Rajasthan is likely to cross 3 GW mark in installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity soon, according to the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation (RREC).
Twenty solar projects aggregating 1.5 GW in the state’s pipeline are nearing completion. Rajasthan is targeting to increase its solar power generation to 3,780 MW by April 2019 to achieve the goal of 7 GW clean energy capacity in the next four years.
Currently it has a has an installed solar capacity of 2.3 GW and a solar project pipeline of 1.5 MW. The current solar power generation is contributing 10 percent to the total power consumption in the state and the target is to increase it to 17 percent by 2021.
Of the total 1,500 MW projects, which are scheduled to be commissioned by April next year, 10 are of the capacity of 100 MW each and 10 are of 50 MW each. Other projects which are under the pipeline are Pokran-Phalodi solar park (750 MW), Fatehgarh phase 1B (1,500 MW) and Nokh, Jaisalmer (1,000 MW).
The state of Rajasthan, having huge potential for solar power generation, could only add 496 MW in the last financial year, which is less than the fiscal year of 2016-17, in which the state added 500.55 MW.
Rajasthan has geographical and environmental advantage for solar power generation when compared to other states, but it still falls behind states like Karnataka and Telangana when it comes to capacity addition.