Gujarat planning RE expansion, to set up 150 substations in FY21: Minister

• Saurabh Bhai Patel, Gujarat's Energy Minister, said that the state government is committed to reaching its RE target of 30 GW by 2022

• Patel said that 84,000 hectares of land has been identified in Kutch for hybrid parks

New Delhi: Saurabh Bhai Patel, Gujarat's Energy Minister, said on Friday that the state government is committed to reaching its RE (renewable energy) target of 30 GW by 2022. He urged the industry to identify land pockets and participate in the upcoming bidding process, which will pick up pace in the coming months.

Gujarat to set up 150 substations in FY21 to prepare for new RE projects

Addressing a FICCI webinar on 'Outlook for Renewable Energy Sector in the State of Gujarat' organised under the aegis of the FICCI Renewable Energy CEOs Council, Patel said that a huge transmission infrastructure is being set up in Gujarat, considering the new RE projects to be installed in the near future. The government has identified 150 new substations that will be set up this year, he added.

Patel said that 84,000 hectares of land has been identified in Kutch for hybrid parks and around 30,000 MW of wind and solar power projects are being planned to be installed on these parks. He added that the government and developers should come together in identifying more renewable energy parks.

'RE industry ready to make investments in Gujarat'

Ranjit Gupta, Chair, FICCI Renewable Energy CEOs Council and CEO Azure Power, said that the renewable energy industry is ready to make investments in Gujarat and the state has a very positive ecosystem for investments in various sectors, including renewable energy. He mentioned that with more than 10.5 GW of renewable energy installed, Gujarat is a leading supporter of renewable energy projects across the country.

Gupta added that IPPs have made huge investments in renewable energy sector in the state because of the investor-friendly policies and the support that investors get from various state government agencies.

'Gujarat has always been at the forefront in RE sector'

Sunil Parekh, Chair, FICCI Gujarat State Council and Corporate Advisor, Zydus Group and Jubliant Bhartia Group, said that Gujarat has always been at the forefront, leading the renewable energy sector in terms of both existing capacity as well as the future potential. He mentioned that this interaction will help in building deeper connect between renewable energy players and the government of Gujarat.

The CEOs of FICCI Renewable Energy Council also made a presentation to the minister on key enablers for investments in renewable energy sector in Gujarat, as well as suggestions for current renewable energy projects.