India to Set Up 30 GW of RE Plants Alongside Western Border

India is in view of building 30 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity along a desert on its western border known for its sunny, windy and arid expanse, as per sources.

The projects, which will be spread across the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, are part of efforts to expand the country’s renewable capacity and reduce the share of fossil fuels in its energy mix, the people said, asking not to be named as the discussions are private and at an early stage. The plan was discussed at a meeting in Gujarat, they said.

Land for renewable projects is a vital challenge in India and the high cost of procurement weighs on the price of electricity. The nation is progressively looking at unfertile lands for building renewable projects so its energy goals don’t clash with its growing need for agricultural production.