Poor solar unit numbers fail TN in energy purchase target

Chennai

RPO is the single most important policy driving renewable energy installations inIndia towards achieving its aggressive goal of installing 1.75 lakh megawatt by 2022, with solar comprising one lakh megawatt of this portfolio.

In the last fiscal year, the Ministry of Power had set a total RPO target of 17 per cent including 6.75 per cent solar RPO the states against its total energy generation. 

Only four states, including Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh achieved more than 100 per cent RPO compliance in 2018-19 while seven states, including Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand have achieved more than 60 per cent. Rest of the states have achieved less than the target. As per the target, Tamil Nadu was supposed to generate 17,693 million units (MU) of renewable energy out of the total energy generation of 1,04,078 MU for the last fiscal year. However, the state was able to generate renewable energy to the tune of 16,898 MU which is 16.23 per cent. 

Himachal Pradesh toped the country by achieving RPO compliance of 564 per cent followed by Sikkim with 225 per cent. Neighbouring Karnataka which overtook Tamil Nadu as the leading renewable generator in the country has achieved RPO compliance of 218 per cent. Andhra Pradesh finished fourth with 137 per cent RPO compliance. Tamil Nadu was in the fifth position with 95.5 per cent RPO compliance. A senior Tangedco official told DT Next that the state failed to achieve the RPO target because of its failure to add more solar capacity to the grid.

“As on date, the state has a total solar installed capacity of 2,944 megawatt. We should add at least 2,500 mw to meet the RPO target. After failure, the poor response from the solar developers for its 500 MW bid, we have decided to purchase power through Solar Energy Corporation of India. The SECI will be floating bids for 1,000 MW in two stages of 500 MW each. We are planning to set up 500 MW ultra-mega solar power park at Kadaladi in Ramanathapuram district to meet our future requirements,” the official said.

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