Rajasthan is the largest state in India, and recently released the Rajasthan Energy Policy 2050 draft, aiming to transition to a sustainable and eco-friendly economy.

2030 Goal: Rajasthan will install 90GW of photovoltaic systems and wind power installed capacity

One of the goals of this policy is to install a total installed capacity of 90GW of photovoltaic systems and wind power facilities in Rajasthan by 2030. The rapid growth of renewable energy installed capacity is expected to create employment opportunities for 110000 people in Rajasthan, covering various skills required for business development, project design, construction, commissioning, and maintenance.

The state also plans to expand its development scale of rooftop photovoltaics. Rajasthan has untapped potential for installing residential rooftop photovoltaic systems, although it has a potential of 5.5GW, only 835MW rooftop photovoltaic systems have been installed as of September 2022.

In addition, Rajasthan is committed to achieving the goal of 100% compliance with national renewable energy purchase obligations and significantly reducing the total technical and commercial (AT&C) losses of distribution companies to 12% to 15% by 2025-2026, lower than the worrying 26.23% in 2021.

Vision for 2050: Increase the share of non fossil energy power generation in Rajasthan to 70%

At the same time, Rajasthan's goal is to reduce the AT&C losses in the distribution sector to less than 10%, a significant improvement from 26.23% in 2021.

Green hydrogen gas

The most eye-catching aspect of this policy is Rajasthan's clear focus on the production of green hydrogen, which is a key resource for decarbonization in various sectors. Rajasthan currently consumes approximately 250000 tons of hydrogen gas. The state government has promised to invest approximately $4.8 billion in green hydrogen production. This investment will promote the creation of 5GW of green hydrogen production capacity, mainly utilizing photovoltaic systems and advanced electrolysis technology.

To promote this transformation, the state plans to develop a comprehensive green hydrogen policy.

Progress roadmap

This policy outlines two broad economic goals and 14 specific sectoral goals to be achieved by 2050.

Compared to the level in 2020, the fossil energy intensity of the state's economy has decreased by 60%.

From 2020 to 2050, it is expected that the total carbon emissions will decrease by 700 million tons.

Although Rajasthan has broad prospects for energy transformation, it also faces some challenges. The state must reduce carbon emissions, enhance the financial health of distribution companies, and promote consumer participation while meeting the growing demand for electricity.

Currently, over 70% of the state's electricity comes from coal-fired power generation, accounting for 54% of its total emissions by 2020. If this situation does not change, by 2050, it is expected that electricity.Editor/XingWentao