Record additions in non-fossil fuel energy in India

The renewable energy projects under implementation and tendered saw significant expansion, with 143.94 GW under implementation and 89.69 GW tendered as of October 2024. This is a notable increase from 99.08 GW under implementation and 55.13 GW tendered as of October 2023

New Delhi: As per the updated Nationally Determined Contributions submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Government of India has committed to achieving 50% non-fossil based installed electricity capacity by 2030. India has demonstrated remarkable progress in its re-newable energy journey, achieving significant milestones across non-fossil fuel sectors between No-vember 2023 and November 2024. With substantial capacity additions and impressive growth in solar, wind, bioenergy, hydro, and nuclear energy, the country continues to advance towards its ambitious target of achieving 500 GW from non-fossil sources by 2030.

India’s total renewable energy installed capacity increased by a staggering 24.2 GW (13.5%) in a year, reaching 203.18 GW in October 2024 from 178.98 GW in October 2023. This significant rise aligns with India’s ambitious targets in the field of RE sector. Including nuclear energy, the total non-fossil fuel ca-pacity rose to 211.36 GW in 2024, compared to 186.46 GW in 2023.

Solar installed capacity rose to 94.17 GW, a 30.2% increase from 72.31 GW in 2023. Total solar capacity (including pipeline projects) surged by 52.7%, reaching 261.15 GW compared to 171.10 GW in 2023.

Wind power installed capacity grew to 47.96 GW, reflecting a 7.6% increase from 44.56 GW in 2023. The solar sector saw a remarkable increase of 20.1 GW (27.9%), growing from 72.02 GW in October 2023 to 92.12 GW in October 2024. The combined total solar capacity, including projects under imple-mentation and tendered, now stands at 250.57 GW, a significant rise from 166.49 GW last year.

Total wind capacity (including pipeline projects) climbed by 17.4%, reaching 74.44 GW from 63.41 GW in 2023. Wind energy also demonstrated steady growth, with installed capacity increasing by 7.8%, from 44.29 GW in October 2023 to 47.72 GW in 2024. Total capacity in the pipeline for wind projects has now reached 72.35 GW.

Bioenergy capacity grew by 4.6%, increasing to 11.34 GW from 10.84 GW in 2023. Small hydro projects saw capacity rise to 5.08 GW from 4.99 GW, with total capacity, including pipeline projects, reaching 5.54 GW. Large hydro projects recorded incremental growth, with installed capacity increasing to 46.97 GW from 46.88 GW.

As of October 2024, large hydro projects contributed 46.93 GW to India’s renewable portfolio, while nuclear power capacity contributed 8.18 GW. These contributions strengthen the diversity and resilience of India’s renewable energy mix, supporting the country’s comprehensive approach to green energy transition. Total large hydro capacity, including pipeline projects, expanded to 67.02 GW from 64.85 GW. Nuclear energy installed capacity rose to 8.18 GW, up from 7.48 GW in 2023. Total nuclear capacity, including pipeline projects, remained steady at 22.48 GW.

India’s renewable energy sector has showcased robust growth between November 2023 and November 2024, with significant strides across solar, wind, bioenergy, hydro, and nuclear energy. These achieve-ments underline the nation’s unwavering commitment to clean energy and its ambitious target of achieving 500 GW from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030, positioning India as a global leader in sustaina-ble energy.

From April to October 2024, India added 12.6 GW of renewable energy capacity. In October 2024 alone, 1.72 GW was installed, marking an accelerated shift towards renewable energy.

The renewable energy projects under implementation and tendered saw significant expansion, with 143.94 GW under implementation and 89.69 GW tendered as of October 2024. This is a notable in-crease from 99.08 GW under implementation and 55.13 GW tendered as of October 2023, ensuring consistent progress towards India’s clean energy targets.