Mumbai, Sept. 1 -- Tamil Nadu, despite significant wind and solar potential, continues to lag other major states in expanding renewable capacity. The state ranked fourth with an installed renewable energy capacity of 29,802 megawatt (MW) as of 31 July. Gujarat led the country with 52,610 MW, followed by Rajasthan with 50,335 MW and Maharashtra with 33,194 MW. The gap has implications for investment and grid stability.

As per Ministry of New and Renewable Energy data accessed by The New Indian Express, Gujarat has installed 33,763 MW of solar capacity, Rajasthan 44,135 MW and Maharashtra 20,347 MW. Tamil Nadu's installed solar capacity stood at 14,121 MW, substantially lower than the leaders. Industry participants said the shortfall reflects an uneven pace of new project awards and commissioning. The state risks missing opportunities in manufacturing and local employment tied to the energy transition.

Industry sources attributed the slow pace to a lack of fresh applications and to the fact that the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited has not invited new applications for solar and wind projects since March. E Natarajan, general secretary of the Bharatiya Electricity Engineers Association, told the paper that investors remained keen but faced delays in approvals, slow project progress, inadequate transmission infrastructure and the absence of a clear long-term plan for renewable evacuation. These factors, the association warned, were creating uncertainty for developers.

The problem is particularly acute in the Tirunelveli-Kanniyakumari region, which has significant renewable potential, and local experts said generation gains cannot be realised unless transmission is upgraded. Natarajan urged construction of new 400 kilovolt (kV) or 765 kV substations and associated transmission lines to evacuate additional power. A senior Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited official said a policy for battery energy storage system (BESS) was in its final stage and that once it was completed the process of inviting fresh applications could start. K Venkatachalam of the Renewable Energy Producers Association warned that linking new projects solely with the BESS policy could further delay investments, underlining the need for concurrent policy and grid action.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.