New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the government aims to produce 40 gigawatt (GW) of solar power in the next one-and-a-half years through rooftop solar projects.
He added that renewable energy capacity enhanced two-and-a-half times in the past six years, while solar energy capacity increased by 15 times.
Already, 4-GW solar capacity is installed through rooftop solar projects... 2.5 GW will be added soon. 40 GW solar power is aimed in the next one-and-a-half years through rooftop solar projects,” he said while addressing a webinar on implementation of Union Budget provisions in the power sector.
PM Modi said that under the PM-KUSUM scheme, farmers were becoming energy entrepreneurs and the goal was to create 30-GW solar capacity through small plants in the farmers’ fields.
Referring to the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, the Prime Minister said that high efficiency solar PV modules were now part of the PLI scheme and the government was committed to invest Rs 4,500 crore in it.
Under the PLI Scheme, 10,000 MW capacity integrated solar PV manufacturing plants will be operationalised with an estimated investment of Rs 14,000 crore, which would increase demand for locally produced materials. “We want to see our companies become global manufacturing champions, not just to fulfil local demands,” he added.
He said that this year’s Budget had shown unprecedented commitment towards investment in infrastructure and that was evident in Mission Hydrogen, domestic manufacturing of solar cells and massive capital infusion in the renewable energy sector.
The government in this Budget had announced additional capital infusion of Rs 1,000 crore in Solar Energy Corporation of India and Rs 1,500 crore in Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency.
