Govt looks to pull off 100 GW solar capacity by 2017-end

Mumbai: The Centre expects to achieve its ambitious target of 100 GW of solar capacity generation by 2017, much ahead of its deadline of 2022, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday.

"We are looking at achieving the 100 GW target of installed capacity of solar energy by the end of 2017 itself," Goyal told a gathering at the Mumbai University in suburban Kalina.

He said the solar power generation has already crossed 19,000 MW in the just-concluded fiscal.

"When we came to power, solar energy capacity was only 2,400 MW, and the target set by the National Solar Energy Mission then was 20,000 MW by FY22. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi later increased the target by five times to 100 GW by 2022," Goyal added.

The government has set an ambitious target of generating 175 GW power by 2022 from renewable sources, including 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from biomass and 5 GW from small hydroelectric projects.