Solar power accounted for 19.4% of India’s total installed power capacity and 44.2% of the installed renewable capacity in the second quarter (Q2) of the calendar year (CY) 2024, up from 15.9% and 38.4% year-on-year (YoY), respectively.

India’s installed renewable energy capacity, including large hydro projects, stood at 196.4 GW at the end of Q2 2024, accounting for a 44% share of the overall power capacity mix, according to data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), and Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker.

The total renewable energy (190.6 GW) share was 43.1% of the overall power mix at the end of Q1 2024.

India generated approximately 36 BU of solar power during the quarter compared to 32 BU in Q1.

Large hydro accounted for 10.5% and wind 10.4% of the country’s overall installed power capacity at the end of June 2024.

Biomass and small hydro accounted for 2.3% and 1.1%, respectively.

Energy from conventional sources

As of June 2024, the total installed capacity of conventional power sources stood at 251.2 GW, accounting for 56.1% of the power mix from 56.9% as of March 2024.

Coal-based thermal power constituted 47.1%, gas 5.5%, nuclear 1.8%, lignite 1.5%, and diesel 0.13% of the country’s total installed power capacity.

Coal remained the top power source (211 GW) at the end of June 2024, and no new capacity was added during the quarter.

To increase the share of green power in the country’s power mix, the Ministry of Power, in May 2024, mandated that coal-based thermal power projects operated by power generation utilities should incorporate a 5% blend of biomass pellets annually.

The Ministry of Coal, under its net-zero electricity consumption plan for coal/lignite public sector undertakings, set a renewable energy target of 9 GW in the coal sector by 2030 from the present 1.75 GW. The Ministry will also promote the deployment of rooftop and ground-mounted solar power projects across mining facilities.