On a bright sunny afternoon, solar panels can generate large amounts of electricity. But what if there are not enough “electricity highways” to carry that power where it is needed? That is one of the challenges India is facing as it rapidly expands its use of clean energy.
The government has said that nearly 7% of India’s installed solar power capacity cannot operate at full output during peak sunshine hours because the country’s transmission infrastructure is not keeping pace.
In a written reply to Parliament, Minister of State for Power Shripad Yesso Naik said about 12 gigawatts (GW) of installed solar capacity is unable to supply its full power to the electricity grid.
India’s solar power capacity has reached about 162 GW, accounting for nearly one-third of the country’s non-fossil fuel power capacity. However, during the middle of the day, when solar panels produce the most electricity, the available transmission lines can become overloaded.
The minister said about 21 GW of clean energy capacity is currently connected to the grid through temporary arrangements while dedicated transmission lines are being built. The problem has arisen because many renewable energy projects have been completed before the infrastructure needed to carry their electricity is ready.
The challenge comes as India works towards its target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel power capacity. Government data showed that between April and June alone, about 8,133 gigawatt hours (GWh) of solar electricity could not be delivered because of transmission bottlenecks. Experts say this underlines the need to build transmission networks as quickly as new solar and wind projects so that clean electricity generated on sunny days is not wasted. (With inputs from Reuters)
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