India Becomes 3rd Largest in Solar, Wind Power

India is now the world's third-largest producer of wind and solar energy, surpassing Germany, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, said on Friday, adding that the country's solar power installed capacity reached 107.95 GW in April this year, from 82.64 GW in the same month last year, which is a 30.7% growth.

With 10% of the global share, India's clean energy capacity continues to grow significantly under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the minister posted on X social media platform, adding that it is "a step closer to a sustainable future".

Also, the installed capacity of wind energy stood at 51.06 GW last month, from 46.16 GW in April 2024—a 10.6% growth.

"Total renewable energy (non-fossil fuel) has reached 231.81 GW installed capacity in April, from 199.86 GW in April 2024 which is a 16% annual increase," the Union Minister informed.

India is at the forefront of global energy transition and solar power alone has grown over 30 times in the last decade, as the country achieved renewable energy targets of 2030 eight years ahead of schedule.

The country achieved its 2030 renewable energy target of 200 GW in 2022 itself — eight years ahead of schedule.

Last month, Joshi inaugurated the PV Module Testing and Calibration Lab at the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) at Gwal Pahari in Haryana on the outskirts of the national capital.

He termed the lab a pioneering facility for India and further highlighted that as Indian companies scale up the production of large modules, this lab will ensure that products meet the highest quality standards.

In terms of manufacturing, solar module production has increased from 2 GW in 2014 to 80 GW, with a target of reaching 150 GW by 2030. Alongside solar progress, the minister also underscored the achievement of 50 GW in wind energy capacity.

Emphasising the government’s ambitious targets, Joshi said that India is firmly on track to achieve the 500 GW non-fossil fuel energy target by 2030, including 292 GW of solar energy, as envisioned by the Prime Minister.

—IANS

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