India to auction 100GW of green energy contracts by March 2020

The ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) on Friday announced a clean energy rollout trajectory that will require awarding a mammoth 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind contracts by March 2020. Besides, the government is also working on a plan targeted at farmers to generate 20GW of solar power.

This involves setting up small solar projects of 1-2 megawatt (MW) size on fallow land and solarizing water pumps. Of the 100GW to be awarded, 77GW will be solar power contracts.

Given India’s ambitious target of 175GW of clean energy capacity by March 2022, the government’s strategy is to complete the bid process by March 2020 so that developers have the time need to construct these projects, said Anand Kumar, secretary, MNRE.

Raj Kumar Singh, power and new and renewable energy minister, while announcing a plan to conduct a third wind power auction of 2GW, said there was a long-pending demand from industry to announce a clean energy road map.