‘Transmission constraints threaten India’s renewable energy expansion’
ICRA flagged that weak inter-state transmission and delayed Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) firming are increasing day-time solar curtailment under Temporary General Network Access (T-GNA).
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What happened: Day-time solar curtailment linked to transmission constraints
ICRA said insufficient inter-state transmission capacity is a major bottleneck for India’s renewable energy expansion. ICRA reported that solar projects are being curtailed during daylight hours when the grid is congested and there is oversupply in constrained areas.
ICRA described curtailment as forced reduction or stoppage of generation due to oversupply and grid congestion at transmission-constrained locations, especially at affected sub-stations.
Key curtailment and exposure figures from ICRA
ICRA provided estimates for renewable capacity at affected sub-stations across northern, western, and southern regions:
37% of renewable capacity at affected sub-stations operates under Temporary General Network Access (T-GNA).Renewable capacity under T-GNA faces roughly 30% to 50% curtailment during daytime hours.Peak curtailment in western India reached 8,617 MW (as of the date ICRA cited: August 6).Peak curtailment in northern India was 5,573 MW (as per ICRA’s estimate).
