Centre to set up 50 Solar Parks of 40,000 MW capacity

New Delhi: To achieve 500 GW of installed electricity capacity by 2030, the government is implementing a scheme for the setting up of 50 solar parks of aggregate capacity of 40,000 MW in the country.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister for Power, R. K. Singh, said, “These parks are meant to provide developed infrastructure to facilitate the installation of solar power projects.”

The minister said that “Central Financial Assistance of up to Rs. 25 lakhs for the preparation of a detailed project report and Rs. 20 lakhs per MW or 30% of the project cost, whichever is lower, is provided for the development of such parks under the scheme,” he informed the minister.

A total of 152.90 GW of renewable energy capacity projects (including large hydro) have been installed in the country as of February 2022, which includes 50.78 GW from solar power, 40.13 GW from wind power, 10.63 GW from bio-power, 4.84 GW from small hydro power and 46.52 GW from large hydro power.

In accordance with the Prime Minister’s last year’s announcement at COP26, to install 500 GW of non-fossil fuel sources in the electricity pool by 2030, the Ministry also constituted a committee to prepare the roadmap to achieve the target.

The committee includes representations from important agencies dealing with renewable energy and electricity.

Furthermore, projects of 72.61 GW capacity are under various stages of implementation, and 21.11 GW capacity are under various stages of bidding, “the Minister said.”