India set to achieve 20 GW solar energy capacities this fiscal itself: Govt

India is close to achieving 20 GW grid connected installed solar power generation capacity this fiscal itself with 19.58GW already in hand till February end, Parliament was informed on Thursday.

"As on February 28, 2018, a grid connected solar capacity of 19.58 GW has been installed and the government is very close to achieving 20GW in 2017-18 itself of the the target set initially," Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh said in a written reply to Lok Sabha today.

The government had revised the target of grid-connected solar energy capacities from 20GW to 100GW by 2022.

However, the minister said that at present, the indigenous manufacturing capacity is not adequate and therefore the country is dependent on both imported as well as domestically manufactured solar panels/equipments.

The government has decided auction 30 GW solar energy capacities each in 2018-19 and 2019-20 to achieve 100 GW grid connected capacities by 2022.

Besides, the government would also auction 10 GW capacities each in the two fiscal years to achieve 60 GW of wind power generation capacities by 2022. India's wind power generation capacity is 32.8 GW as per Central Electricity Authority data. Total renewable energy capacities was 62.8 GW by February, 2018.