Gujarat Renewable Energy Policy 2023

Operative Period

• 5 years validity up to 30th Sept 2028, However, the benefits will be applicable for a period of 25 years from the date of commissioning or the life of the RE project

Targets

• The policy targets a cumulative 100 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, attracting investments of ₹5 lakh crores and utilizing 4,00,000 acres of land.

Gujarat Potential

• 36 GW of Solar and 143 GW wind capacity

Eligibility

• No Capacity Restrictions as policy encourages projects for captive use or third-party consumption with respect to consumer’s contracted demand or sanctioned load.

Project Covered

• Ground Mounted solar, Roof top solar, Floating solar, Canal top solar, wind , rooftop wind and wind-solar hybrid project

Energy Settlement and Banking

• The banking period shall be as per Green Energy OA Rules 2022 i.e., monthly.
• No banking charges shall be applicable on solar power consumed by Residential consumers.
• Any surplus energy not consumed in either with banking or without banking shall be considered lapsed.
• Peak hours charge applicable on all the units consumed (from Discom + Open Access incl. banked).
• If a third party register themselves under the REC mechanism or fulfil their RPO or basically claim RE attribute, then third party will not get banking facility.
• The banking charges shall be determined on monthly/quarterly basis as per the details of the previous month/quarter.

Green Power supply

• 100% renewable energy supply on consumer requisition at green power supply tariff is allowed as determined by GERC from time to time

Electricity Duty

• It shall be governed by Electricity Duty Act 1958 and its amendments

Open Access Charges

• Cross subsidy surcharge and Additional surcharge shall not be applicable to captive power projects as per electricity rule 2005

 Wind Solar Hybrid (WSH) Projects

• Categorized into Type-A (converting standalone plants) and Type-B (new hybrid ventures)

Renewable Energy Parks

• Minimum capacity of 50 MW and Maximum capacity as per MNRE guidelines for development.

Rooftop Projects

• Option of Net metering or Gross metering available for rooftop projects
• Small scale Wind projects can be installed by consumers on rooftops.

Projects under REC mechanism

• Facilitates renewable energy projects under the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) mechanism with unused attributes factored into Discoms’ RPO calculations.

Repowering

• Conversion of existing or under construction standalone wind or solar power plants into hybrid project is allowed.

Metering

• Developers mandated to install Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) for real-time monitoring at Load Dispatch Centres

Grid connectivity and evacuation facilities

• Evacuation facility for outside RE Parks, common dedicated transmission line shall be encouraged for clusters of adjoining RE projects with appropriate metering at their respective ends of the project and a common meter at STU substation.

Purchase of Power by DISCOM’s

• Discom’s may procure power at pre-fixed levelized tariff without competitive bidding process from solar projects up to 4 MW capacity and from wind project up to 10 MW capacity

Land allocation

• State government may allocate government waste land at concessional rate to RE projects supplying power to the distribution licensee for the consumers of Gujarat.

ISTS connectivity

• Power can be exported out of Gujarat through ISTS connected projects in accordance with applicable rules and regulations of central government/CERC.

Carbon Credit

• Renewable energy projects are eligible to avail carbon credits which are installed through competitive bidding.
• Rooftop project/Wind project implemented under central, or state government scheme shall have to pass carbon credit benefits to discom.