Master10
Renewable Energy & Power Sector Module

Solar, Wind & Green Hydrogen Initiatives

The transition towards renewable energy in India is spearheaded by rapid capacity additions in solar photovoltaics, onshore wind farms, and emerging green hydrogen ecosystems. Major installations like the Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan and Pavagada Solar Park in Karnataka represent world-class utility-scale engineering. Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission launched in 2023, India aims to establish at least 5 million metric tonnes per annum of green hydrogen production capacity by 2030, supported by the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) programme. Policy frameworks such as Renewable Purchase Obligations, solar rooftop schemes, and tariff-based competitive bidding have driven down levelized costs of electricity, establishing renewables as central to the national decarbonisation pathway.

Key Concepts & Examination Highlights

  • Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan is one of the world's largest solar parks with an operational capacity exceeding 2,240 MW.
  • The National Green Hydrogen Mission targets at least 5 MMT of green hydrogen production annually by 2030.
  • Muppandal Wind Farm in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, is India's largest operational onshore wind power plant.
  • Under the COP26 Panchamrit pledges, India committed to reaching 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the 'Panchamrit' climate action commitments at the COP26 summit in Glasgow (2021), including achieving Net Zero emissions by 2070.
  • Pavagada Solar Park (Shakti Sthala) in Tumakuru district, Karnataka, is among the largest operational solar parks in India with a capacity of 2,050 MW.
  • The International Solar Alliance (ISA), launched jointly by India and France at COP21 in Paris (2015), is headquartered at the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) in Gurugram, Haryana.
  • Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a Miniratna CPSE under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), is the primary implementing agency for renewable energy tenders.
  • The PM-KUSUM scheme supports farmers in installing standalone solar agricultural pumps and solarizing grid-connected pumps to boost farm incomes.
  • Muppandal Wind Farm in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, is India's largest operational onshore wind energy facility.
  • The Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) programme provides financial incentives for domestic manufacturing of electrolysers and green hydrogen production.
  • The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE), an autonomous R&D institution under MNRE, is located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
  • Gujarat leads Indian states in installed onshore wind energy capacity, followed closely by Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.
  • Rajasthan ranks first among all Indian states in total installed utility-scale solar power generation capacity.
  • Rewa Ultra Mega Solar project (750 MW) in Madhya Pradesh was one of the first solar projects in India to supply power to an institutional customer, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
  • The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, launched in February 2024 with an outlay of ₹75,000 crore, provides subsidies to install rooftop solar systems on one crore households.
  • Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks (UMREPPs) scheme aims to set up massive clean energy parks with capacities of 500 MW and above across resource-rich states.
  • Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), established in 1987 as a specialized Non-Banking Financial Institution under MNRE, attained Navratna status in 2024.
  • Green Energy Corridors (GEC) project facilitates the synchronous evacuation and grid integration of large-scale renewable power across eight resource-rich states.
  • Offshore wind energy potential in India is estimated by NIWE at approximately 70 GW along the coastlines of Gujarat (Gulf of Khambhat) and Tamil Nadu (Gulf of Mannar).
  • Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs) are statutory quotas mandated under the Electricity Act, 2003, obligating DISCOMs and open-access consumers to purchase a minimum share of green electricity.
  • The National Bioenergy Programme promotes the establishment of biomass briquette plants, urban waste-to-energy projects, and modern biogas generators across India.
  • SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) initiative was launched in 2018 to establish Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) production plants from agricultural residue and municipal waste.
  • Floating Solar Photovoltaic (FSPV) plants, such as the 100 MW operational project at Ramagundam in Telangana, minimize land acquisition and reduce water evaporation losses from reservoirs.
  • The National Solar Mission (Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission - JNNSM) was launched in January 2010 as one of the eight core missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
  • India's updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement commit to achieving 50% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.
  • India committed at COP26 in Glasgow to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions across all economic sectors by the year 2070.
  • India pledged to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030 from the 2005 baseline level under its enhanced climate action framework.
  • The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) was launched in January 2010, subsequently scaled up to target 100 GW of grid-connected solar power capacity.
  • The Bhadla Solar Park in Phalodi (Jodhpur) district of Rajasthan is one of the world's largest operational solar parks, with a cumulative installed capacity of 2,245 MW spread over 14,000 acres.
  • The Pavagada Solar Park (Shakti Sthala) in Tumakuru district of Karnataka has a total power generation capacity of 2,050 MW, developed on leased barren agricultural land.
  • The Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park in Andhra Pradesh has an operational capacity of 1,000 MW, developed by Andhra Pradesh Solar Power Corporation Private Limited (APSPCL).
  • The Rewa Ultra Mega Solar project in Madhya Pradesh has a capacity of 750 MW, recognized as the first solar project in India to supply power to an institutional customer outside its host state (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation).
  • The PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) scheme supports farmers through three components: Component-A (grid-connected small solar plants), Component-B (standalone solar pumps), and Component-C (solarization of existing agriculture pumps).
  • The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana was launched in February 2024 with a financial outlay of Rs 75,021 crore to provide up to 300 units of free electricity monthly to 1 crore households via rooftop solar installations.
  • The National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) is an autonomous apex R&D institution functioning under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) at Gwal Pahari in Gurugram, Haryana.
  • The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) is an autonomous R&D institution established in 1998 under MNRE at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, to carry out wind resource assessment and wind turbine testing.
  • The Muppandal Wind Farm in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu is the largest operational onshore wind farm in India, having an aggregate capacity of over 1,500 MW powered by southwest monsoon winds.
  • The National Offshore Wind Energy Policy, notified in 2015, outlines the development of offshore wind energy blocks along the exclusive economic zones of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, targeting 30 GW by 2030.
  • The National Green Hydrogen Mission was approved by the Union Cabinet on 4 January 2023 with an initial outlay of Rs 19,744 crore to position India as a global hub for green hydrogen production and export.
  • The National Green Hydrogen Mission targets the development of at least 5 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) of green hydrogen production capacity per annum by 2030, associated with 125 GW of renewable energy capacity.
  • The Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) programme provides direct financial incentives for the domestic manufacturing of electrolysers and the production of green hydrogen.
  • The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was jointly launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President François Hollande on 30 November 2015 during COP21 in Paris.
  • The International Solar Alliance is headquartered at the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) campus in Gurugram, Haryana, being the first treaty-based international intergovernmental organisation based in India.
  • The 'One Sun One World One Grid' (OSOWOG) initiative is a global framework championed by India to build an interconnected transnational electricity grid for sharing solar and renewable energy across international time zones.
  • Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) is a Central Public Sector Enterprise under MNRE incorporated in 2011, functioning as the primary nodal agency for competitive bidding and implementation of renewable projects.
  • Green Energy Open Access Rules, 2022, reduced the open access transaction limit from 1 MW to 100 kW, enabling small commercial and industrial consumers to purchase green power directly.
  • National Bioenergy Programme supports the setting up of Bio-CNG, biogas, and biomass pellet plants, promoting compressed biogas (CBG) under the SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) initiative.
  • Floating Solar Power Plants utilize reservoirs to conserve land and reduce water evaporation; NTPC commissioned India's largest floating solar plant of 100 MW at Ramagundam in Telangana.
  • The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for High-Efficiency Solar PV Modules was launched with an outlay of Rs 24,000 crore to establish fully integrated domestic manufacturing from polysilicon and ingots to wafers and cells.
Curriculum & Reference Sources: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Central Electricity Authority (CEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Sample Solved Questions & Concept Explanations

8 Verified Concept Questions
Q1.EASY

Where is the world-renowned Bhadla Solar Park, one of the world's largest solar installations by operational capacity, located in India?

Q2.MEDIUM

Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission approved by the Union Cabinet in 2023, what is India's target annual green hydrogen production capacity by 2030?

Q3.MEDIUM

The Muppandal Wind Farm, the largest operational onshore wind power plant in India with a capacity of approximately 1,500 MW, is located in which state?

Q4.EASY

Pavagada Solar Park (also known as Shakti Sthala), one of India's largest operational utility-scale solar parks with a capacity of 2,050 MW, is located in which state?

Q5.EASY

Under the PM-KUSUM scheme launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, what is the core focus of Component-B?

Q6.EASY

Where is the global headquarters of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), an intergovernmental treaty-based organization initiated by India and France?

Q7.EASY

What is the primary scientific process used to produce 'Green Hydrogen' as distinguished from grey or brown hydrogen?

Q8.EASY

Under the 'PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana' approved by the Union Cabinet in 2024, how many units of free monthly electricity are targeted for 1 crore beneficiary households?