By Jayant Mundhra
Gujarat is a state well known for its delicious food, vibrant celebrations and for having some of the friendliest and most entrepreneurial people of the country. But behind the scenes, there has been a silent renewable energy revolution going on in Gujarat, which has catapulted the State to the top ranks in terms of solar and wind energy in the country.
A myriad of factors starting from Government support, policy push and seamless execution came together to transform the State into the renewable energy leader it is known as today. Take the case of solar alone.
In a span of just 12 years, the installed capacity has grown by more than 16 times.And this is only the beginning, this number is expected to grow at 42% CAGR, according to Solar Quarter, for the coming few years.
The seeds for this explosive growth were sown many decades ago. Let us take a deep dive into the rise of Gujarat’s sun in the renewable energy space.
The early 1990s: Policy Tailwinds and Wind Farm Expansion
Since the 1960s, experiments were happening at Porbandar with imported wind energy equipment, and between the 1960s and 1980s the Wind Power Division of the National Aeronautics Lab carried out various wind velocity surveys to identify geographies which could become wind power generation sites.
As an outcome of the same, the first large-scale wind power project of the country began in 1985 in Veraval, Gujarat with a 40 kW Dutch wind turbine. Although the performance of this machine was quite poor, it proved the viability of having wind turbines connected to the grid in India.
Hence, in 1990, the GEDA (Gujarat Energy Development Authority) commissioned a 10 MW Pavanshakti wind farm at Lamba on the Gujarat coast, which was then the largest wind farm in Asia.
Apart from the Pavanshakti wind farm, there were multiple projects announced in Gujarat, which took its installed capacity from a few megawatts to almost 200 MW by the end of the decade and increase the renewable energy capacity.
The 2000s : The Rise of Solar and Landmark Renewable Energy Projects
As the 21st century dawned, Gujarat turned its attention towards solar energy, driven by technological advancements and decreasing costs. The highlight of this decade was the 2009 Gujarat Solar Power Policy.
It was a state level policy that aimed to create solar power projects developed through a public-private partnership arrangement. The state acquired and designated land for the parks and expedited planning procedures for private developers to develop plots within them.
This solved for the significant delays that were usually involved in projects. There was just one simple ask. The developers must sell the power produced to the state at an agreed tariff.
This gave impetus for the establishment of the iconic Charanka Solar Park in 2012. This 214MW solar park not only solidified Gujarat’s position as a solar pioneer but also became a symbol of the state’s commitment to clean energy.
And now, after further development and additions, this solar park stands at a capacity of 790 MW.
The 2010s : Gujarat’s Renewable Energy Renaissance and Rooftop Solar Expansion
In 2012, Gujarat also initiated its rooftop solar program in Gandhinagar, a pioneering initiative aimed at promoting solar adoption among households and businesses.
This program, known as the “Rent a Roof” project with a target of 5MW (GPCL, Gujarat), solved for one of the highest costs of setting up solar parks – ground space. This included financial subsidies and also enabled citizens to generate revenue, leading to high adoption.
This turned out to be a resounding success, which led to the expansion of this program to 5 other cities – Vadodara, Rajkot, Mehsana and Bhavnagar with a target of 25MW (GPCL, Gujarat). This project began in 2014, creating a conducive environment aided by investment and incentives for large scale solar adoption in Gujarat.
Then came the SURYA – Gujarat Scheme (Surya Urja Rooftop Yojana-Gujarat) – launched in 2019, it was a statewide initiative based on the playbook of their previous initiatives and provided subsidies of up to 40% of the cost of the project. And this shifted gears dramatically. source
The 2020s : Pioneering a Sustainable Future and Rooftop Solar Leadership
The SURYA scheme reached 27 out of the 33 districts in Gujarat and a whopping 2.3 lakh households in only 2 years of its launch, as per this report in the Economic Times.
Currently, Gujarat is the leader in rooftop solar capacity with 3.2 GW out of the total installed capacity and 82% of India’s residential rooftop solar capacity is installed in Gujarat.
The success of the program can be attributed to several factors:
- Favourable Policies: Supportive government policies, including subsidies, net metering, and streamlined approval processes, have created a conducive environment for rooftop solar adoption.
- Consumer Awareness: Extensive awareness campaigns and outreach programs have educated consumers about the benefits of solar energy and incentivised them to switch to clean power.
- Financial Incentives: Subsidies and attractive financing options have made rooftop solar installations affordable and accessible to a wider range of consumers.
- Robust Implementation: The state has developed a strong network of empanelled vendors and installers, ensuring high-quality and reliable installations.
The Renewable Energy Picture
The state has set ambitious targets, aiming to achieve 100 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, which will not just power the electricity needs of the State and the country, but also the sunrise industries like green hydrogen which are seeing big traction in the State, with special focus from the Reliance and Adani groups.
In 2023, they also launched The Gujarat Renewable Energy Policy 2023 under which they plan to generate 50% of the energy from renewables, and invest an estimated Rs 5 lakh crore in the renewable energy sector with the help of this policy.
What can Maharashtra or other State Governments learn from Gujarat’s renewable energy success?
Consumer Awareness
- The SURYA scheme rested on consumer awareness to drive it forward. If we look at Maharashtra, we see that it tops the table for EV sales in India, which means, consumers are ready to choose options which are economically viable and greener, and that is exactly the case with rooftop solar panels
- But, what’s needed is a branding and marketing push from the State Govt to ensure that the masses learn about the policies here
Policy Environment
- The Gujarat Government regularly consulted the industry and other stakeholders, and revised and re-launched policies to boost adoption across the industrial as well as consumer sector
- Like Gujarat, Maharashtra can align its policies along with the newly launched PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana to create a booster effect, like it did with the FAME policy. And most likely that will happen soon enough, given the double engine BJP-led Governments in place
State Specific Solutions
- Gujarat faces lots of challenges when it comes to water. So, it built a Canal Solar Power Project which today covers the open parts of water canals and prevent water loss by evaporation of over 9,000,000 litres annually
- This is something that can be easily implemented by other State Govts across major canals flowing through their territory.
Land Utilisation
- The Gujarat Hybrid Renewable Energy Park has been allotted 60,000 hectares — roughly the size of Singapore or Greater Mumbai. And to boost renewable power generation for the rising green hydrogen industry in the State, much large areas in Kutch, Banaskantha and Jamnagar have been earmarked.
- Similarly, other States with large enough tranches of barren lands could look for this demarcation of land which would accelerate the construction activity
- Needless to mention, the of building solar and wind infrastructure in these areas will generate income for the farmers, tribals and the rural populations, and generate tens of thousands of jobs for them, doing away with the need for them to move to far away cities in search of work
Targeted Expansion
- Gujarat initially piloted the solar rooftop scheme in only Gandhinagar, perfected it, and then expanded to 5 more cities, and finally went state-wide
- This step by step approach will allows to test out schemes at a lower cost and faster time, enabling informed decision making and money deployment
Conclusion
Gujarat’s remarkable strides in the renewable energy space serves as a beacon for other states. By prioritising consumer awareness, creating a favourable policy environment, implementing state-specific solutions, and utilising land strategically, Gujarat has not only transformed its renewable energy landscape but also set a precedent for sustainable development.
Other states can learn valuable lessons from this success story, adapting and implementing similar strategies to accelerate their own transition towards a cleaner and greener future. And as and when that happens, there will be just one big winner. A shining, greener India.
