Energy Milestone: NTPC Crosses 3 GW Operational Renewable Capacity

The state-run power major National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited has crossed 3 GW operational renewable energy (RE) capacity mark at the group level.

The company said it has achieved this milestone with the commissioning of the first part capacity of 100 MW out of 300 MW Nokhra Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Project at Bikaner, Rajasthan from 20 December 2022.

The installed RE capacity of the energy major crossed 2 GW on 24 June 2022 with commissioning of the country's largest floating Solar PV project of 92 MW on the reservoir of Kayamkulam Gas Power Station in Alappuzha district, Kerala.

The company now has 36 operational RE projects spread across 12 states with a cumulative capacity of 3,094 MW.

1.24 GW Capacity Added in FY 2022-23

The power major has been commissioning renewable projects on a monthly basis with a cumulative addition of 1,242 MW of renewable capacity in the current fiscal.

Besides Nokhra, the company has successfully commissioned second part capacity of 67.73 MW out of 230 MW Ettayapuram Solar PV Project at Tamil Nadu on 15 December 2022. The first part capacity of 162.27 MW has already been declared on commercial operation from 10 December. 

Similarly, the entire capacities of 150 MW and 90 MW Devikot Solar PV Projects at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, have been successfully operationalised from 13 December.

In September this year, the group commissioned the first part capacity of 150 MW out of 300 MW Shambu ki Burj-2 Solar PV Project at Bikaner in Rajasthan.

Besides Shambu ki Burj-2, the company also successfully commissioned entire capacity of 20 MW Auraiya Floating Solar PV Project at Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh on 16 September 2022.

Earlier, the public sector enterprise successfully commissioned four projects in August this year.

These projects include Shambu ki Burj-1 Solar PV at Bikaner (250 MW), Fatehgarh Solar PV at Jaisalmer (48.8 MW), Kawas Solar PV Project at Kawas, Gujarat (51 MW) and Gandhar Solar PV at Gandhar, Gujarat (10 MW).

Go Green

NTPC has a total installed capacity of 70.82 GW which includes 58 GW of coal-based plants, 6.5 GW of gas-based plants, 3.7 GW hydro capacity and 3.09 GW of renewable capacity.

India's largest power producer is taking various steps to make its energy portfolio greener by adding significant capacities of RE sources.

By 2032, the company plans to have 60 GW capacity through RE sources, constituting nearly 45 per cent of its overall power generation capacity.

The power conglomerate has 4.8 GW of renewable capacity under different stages of implementation and another 7.3 GW under tendering process, which will further bolster its green energy portfolio.