Maharashtra has significant potential for renewable energy owing to its plentiful sunshine, large land mass, and proximity to coastal breezes. To reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, the state is actively pursuing various green energy sources, like solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower.
Although India’s per capita waste levels are low, the country has become the world’s largest global producer of plastic waste. Tackling this waste poses a huge challenge, and one way to do that is by setting up power plans that would use municipal waste for power generation. Incidentally, Maharashtra has taken several steps towards increasing its share of renewable power sources in the total installed capacity of the state and integrating it into the grid. These moves will certainly guide other states into adapting to green power in their own planning. With 5.13 gigawatts, or GW, of wind power, 4.98 GW of solar power, 2.64 GW of biofuels, and 382 megawatts, or MW, of small hydroelectric capacity, Maharashtra now ranks among the top states in terms of installed renewable energy capacity (13.14 GW). The state has seen a major increase in solar power capacity in recent years, primarily through an increasing number of solar parks, rooftop installations, and solar energy regulations that support the use of solar technology by both residential and commercial consumers. Additionally, the state has made significant investments in wind energy projects and has explored biomass energy options for converting organic and agricultural waste into electricity.
However, Maharashtra’s road towards a future powered entirely by renewable energy sources has not been without its share of challenges. These include the erratic nature of solar and wind resources, grid integration complexities, land acquisition issues, distribution companies, or discom-related constraints and vulnerabilities associated with climate change. These issues must be resolved to maximise renewable energy potential in Maharashtra. Nevertheless, the ruling alliance has remained committed to increasing the renewable energy capacity of the state and has made significant policy changes that have been attracting private sector investment and encouraging innovation in the industry.
Last year Tata Power signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government to set up two large pumped hydro storage projects in the state. The total capacity of the two projects is 2,800 MW. These projects will require an investment of Rs 130 billion and create jobs for over 6,000 people. In June 2023, NHPC Limited and Maharashtra’s Department of Energy signed an MoU for the development of pumped storage schemes and other renewable energy source projects in Maharashtra. The MoU envisages the development of four pum¬ped storage projects aggregating 7,350 MW of capacity, namely, Kalu (1,150 MW), Savitri (2,250 MW), Jalond (2,400 MW), and Kengadi (1,550 MW).
Last week, the state government took a further leap and signed three different MOUs for floating solar, wind energy, and green hydrogen. Through these MOUs, a total investment worth Rs 47,000 crore is expected to come to the state, and it shall bring along 18,000 jobs and 5,500 MW of green power to the state.
The state government has set an aim of having 50% of all its power usage come from clean sources and the current efforts are a step to achieve that target. The Mahayuti government has also set a target of making the state completely emission free by 2070. The current initiatives and policy making efforts are also aimed at that, DCM Fadnavis said during the ceremony to ink the MOUs.
The state government had earlier this year initiated a global partnership and entered into MOUs with institutions from Germany and Australia which are aimed at fly ash reduction and reducing the carbon footprint of the energy sector in the state. It is also aimed at adopting circular economy templates suitable for the state. The strategy also aims to implement 17.36 GW of transmission system-linked renewable power projects by 2025, comprising 12.93 GW of solar projects, including 2 GW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects. Maharashtra has placed a significant emphasis on solar energy due to its abundant sunlight. The state receives 250-300 days of strong sunlight on average each year, resulting in a generation of 4-6 kWh per square metre. In contrast, over the past year, the wind energy industry has not ex¬perienced comparable growth.
Hurdles such as the inability to control the erratic nature of wind and solar resources block the state agencies from achieving targets of steady electricity supply to satisfy demand. Pumped storage projects and battery storage systems are hope of realising the green power dream for the state, but there are also potential technical difficulties. Integrating renewable energy sources into the grid will have to be ensured before moving ahead. Despite such challenges, Maharashtra aims to maintain its leading position and produce 40 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2030. The strategy also aims to implement 17.36 GW of transmission system-linked renewable power projects by 2025, comprising 12.93 GW of solar projects, including 2 GW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects. This assures that the state is on the right track regarding its green power goals and adherence to sustainable development objectives.
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