New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS): India's total renewable energy installed capacity recorded a robust double-digit growth of 15.84 per cent to touch 209.44 GW, as of December 2024, from 180.80 GW in December 2023, according to a statement issued by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) on Monday.

The total capacity added during 2024 amounted to 28.64 GW, representing a significant year-on-year increase of 119.46 per cent compared to the 13.05 GW added in 2023, the statement said.

The solar power sector spearheaded this growth with the addition of 24.54 GW, reflecting a 33.47 per cent rise in its cumulative installed capacity from 73.32 GW in 2023 to 97.86 GW in 2024. Wind energy also contributed to this expansion, with an additional 3.42 GW installed in 2024, increasing the total wind capacity to 48.16 GW, a growth of 7.64 per cent from 2023, the statement explained.

Bioenergy has also shown significant growth, with its installed capacity rising from 10.84 GW in December 2023 to 11.35 GW in December 2024, reflecting a 4.70 per cent increase. Small hydropower projects saw incremental growth, with installed capacity increasing from 4.99 GW in 2023 to 5.10 GW in 2024, representing a 2.20 per cent rise, the statement said.

“MNRE has been taking various key initiatives to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030, reflecting India’s dedication to fulfilling its climate commitments while strengthening energy security. These figures underscore the government’s continued efforts to scale up renewable energy capacity in India,” the statement added.

India has emerged as one of the world leaders in Energy Transition and fixed a target of adding 500 GW of renewable energy capacities by 2030, with solar expected to play a major role in achieving this goal.

Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Karnataka have emerged as the leading states in solar capacity additions while the top 10 states accounted for 94 per cent of total installations.