Photo Credit: ANI
India aims to get 50% of its electric power from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. Here’s how the country plans to meet this goal:
- New transmission projects are being developed to add 66.5 GW of renewable energy in states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
- There is a potential of 55.08 GW for renewable energy in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh. Plans for the required transmission infrastructure are in progress.
- The ISTS grid can handle about 33.35 GW of renewable energy using existing or planned substations.
- SECI has identified 181.5 GW of potential Renewable Energy Zones in eight states: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and offshore wind sites in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. This includes plans for hybrid and solar locations with battery storage systems totaling 43.6 GW. The Central Electricity Authority has prepared a report outlining how to integrate over 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based power by 2030.
To achieve this, about 51,000 km of new transmission lines and 433,500 MVA of transformation capacity will be added to the ISTS network. This will require an estimated investment of ₹2,44,000 crore. The upgrades will include high-capacity 765 kV and 400 kV EHVAC transmission lines, as well as ±800 kV and ±350 kV HVDC lines.
