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Renewable and Non-Conventional Energy

Renewable and Non-Conventional Energy

Mineral and Energy Resources · 2 min read

India targets 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030; as of 2025, renewable capacity including large hydro is more than 200 GW, with solar at about 100 GW (check MNRE). Questions revolve around solar, wind, biomass, tidal, geothermal and green hydrogen, plus missions and parks.

Solar

  • National Solar Mission (2010), target of 100 GW by 2022 (achieved partly), the broader 280 GW solar goal by 2030.
  • Leading states: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Maharashtra.
  • Bhadla Solar Park (Rajasthan) is one of the world's largest solar parks (about 2.2 GW).
  • Pavagada (Karnataka), Kurnool (Andhra), Kamuthi (Tamil Nadu), Rewa (MP).
  • Modhera in Gujarat is India's first 24x7 solar-powered village.
  • International Solar Alliance (ISA) HQ at Gurugram.
  • PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (2024) for rooftop solar on 1 crore households.
  • PM-KUSUM for farmers' pumps.
  • Cochin International Airport is the first fully solar-powered airport.

Wind

  • India has more than 50 GW of wind capacity (about the fourth in the world).
  • Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan lead.
  • Muppandal (Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu) is a major wind farm; offshore wind off Gujarat and Tamil Nadu is being planned. NIWE (National Institute of Wind Energy) is in Chennai.

Other sources

SourceNotes
Biomass and waste-to-energyAgricultural waste; Okhla plant in Delhi
BiogasGobar Gas; GOBARdhan scheme
GeothermalPuga valley (Ladakh), Manikaran (Himachal), Tattapani (Chhattisgarh), Unkeshwar (Maharashtra)
TidalGulf of Kutch, Gulf of Khambhat, Sundarbans (potential up to about 8,000 MW)
WaveVizhinjam (Kerala), experimental
Ocean thermalLakshadweep
Green hydrogenNational Green Hydrogen Mission (2023), target 5 MMT by 2030
Ethanol blendingE20 target achieved in 2025 (check)
Small hydroUp to 25 MW

Institutions

  • MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy); SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India); IREDA; BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency, UJALA bulbs); CEA; Power Grid Corporation (PGCIL).
  • One Sun One World One Grid initiative.
Power plants and energy centres of IndiaThermal, hydro, nuclear, wind, solar and geothermal centres70°E75°E80°E85°E90°E95°E10°N15°N20°N25°N30°N35°NSingrauliKorbaTalcherFarakkaMundraRamagundamDadriSipatNeyveliBhakraTehriNathpa JhakriSalal / BagliharKishangangaSardar SarovarKoynaSrisailamIdukkiTeesta VSubansiri LowerTarapurKalpakkamNaroraKakraparRawatbhataKaigaKudankulamMuppandalJaisalmer windKutch windChitradurgaDhule-SataraBhadlaPavagadaKurnoolCharankaRewaKamuthiManikaran (geothermal)Puga (geothermal)Power centres (selected)Thermal (coal)HydroNuclearWindSolar parkGeothermalabout 500 kmNSchematic map, not to scale. Boundaries as per India's official position; use Survey of India maps for exact boundaries. JKEdusphere
Major power stations: thermal plants cluster in the coal belt, hydro stations in the Himalaya and Western Ghats, nuclear plants on the coast and in Rajasthan, and solar and wind parks in the north-west and the south.

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Prepared for exam revision from NCERT, standard geography textbooks, the Census of India 2011, the India State of Forest Report, IMD, Ministry of Agriculture and other official sources. Maps are schematic teaching maps, not Survey of India maps, and zone boundaries are approximate. Figures such as production, capacity, counts of parks and ports, and census status change, so check the latest official source before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.