Solar mission lauded for 50% tariff decline

India's President Pratibha Devsingh Patil happily noted the 50% decline insolar tariff bids since the start of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in January 2010.

In her customary address to the Parliament at the start of the budget session, Mrs Patil stated: “Solar power projects of around 400 MW are planned to be added by the end of the current financial year under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. One of the objectives of the Mission is to bring the cost of solar power generation closer to grid parity levels. I am happy to inform you that recent tariff bids are 50 per cent less than they were when the Mission was launched just two years ago.”

JNNSM, which has set the ambitious target of deploying 20,000 MW of grid connected solar power by 2022, is aimed at reducing the cost of solar power generation in the country through long term policy; large scale deployment goals; aggressive R&D; and  domestic production of critical raw materials, components and products, as a result to achieve grid tariff parity by 2022.

The President noted that the power generation capacity addition in the 11th plan period is likely to be around 52,000 MW as against 21,000 MW in the 10th plan period. In 2011-12 alone, the industry is likely to add a record 15,000 MW.

She also referred to the Government’s recent initiatives such as approval to set up National Electricity Fund and steps to ease the supply of fuel for power generation.