Rajasthan Targets 30 GW Solar By FY 2024-25

• Rajasthan has set itself a target to achieve 30 GW of cumulative installed solar power capacity for the state to be achieved by FY 2024-25
• Most part of it with 24 GW capacity will come from utility scale solar projects
• It will also target 4 GW of cumulative wind power capacity while aiming for 3.5 GW of hybrid energy capacity

The State Government of Rajasthan has released its final Solar Energy Policy 2019 putting the state on path to achieve 30 GW of solar power project capacity by its financial year 2024-25. This will come from 24 GW of utility scale solar parks, 4 GW from distributed generation, and 1 GW each from solar rooftops and solar pumps.

Power generated by these facilities will be purchased by state discoms to fulfill their renewable purchase obligation (RPO). Solar power projects will be developed to also sell power to parties other than discoms and for captive consumption within and outside the state.

Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Ltd. (RREC) will be the nodal agency for registration, approval, and selection of utility scale projects under competitive bidding process, among other tasks.

For rooftop solar PV, the state government will develop 33 district headquarters as Green Energy Cities in the next five years by installing 300 MW capacity under a net metering arrangement. For gross metering, rooftop solar systems with up to 1 MW of capacity will be allowed.

The administration also aims to encourage manufacturing facilities in the state for solar energy equipment to create an eco-system for the technology and employment generation by way of financial incentives.

The government has also revealed its Rajasthan Wind and Hybrid Energy Policy 2019 targeting 2 GW of wind power capacity by 2024-25 to fulfill the RPO of state discoms, in addition to installing 2 GW of wind power projects for captive consumption for sale to parties other than to discoms.

For hybrid power projects, the aim is for 3.5 GW of project capacity to be achieved as 200 MW with hybridization of existing wind and solar plants, 2 GW of new wind-solar hybrid projects, 500 MW of wind-solar hybrid with storage systems and 800 MW of hybridizations of existing conventional plants.

Details of the above policies are available on the website of Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited (RRECL).

Previously the government had stated 25 GW of grid connected solar capacity in its policy draft (see Rajasthan Aims For 25 GW Solar Capacity By FY 2022).