Rajasthan Solar Power Curtailment: 4.3 GW Hit by Transmission Shortage
Industry sources said around 4,300 MW of solar power capacity in Rajasthan faces complete blackout during daytime due to inadequate transmission infrastructure, putting projects worth nearly Rs 20,000 crore at risk.
A total of 26 solar projects developed by companies such as Adani, ReNew, Serentica, Juniper, Zelestra, ACME and Amp Energy are currently providing energy under the Temporary Public Network Access (T-GNA) framework as the relevant transmission systems are yet to be commissioned.
Sources said electricity generation from these facilities has been completely restricted during daylight hours as available transmission margins have been exhausted.
According to data from the Northern Regional Load Distribution Center (NRLDC), Rajasthan has around 23 GW of commissioned renewable energy capacity, while the transmission capacity stands at around 18.9 GW.
All of this transmission capacity was allocated to projects with long-term Public Network Access (GNA), leaving over 4 GW of capacity operating under T-GNA without evacuation capability.
Industry officials said that despite the commissioning of the 765 kV Khetri-Narela transmission line, only around 600 MW of additional transmission capacity is available. At the same time, over 4,300 MW of power was simultaneously put into operation under the long-term GNA, effectively consuming excess margins.
In an email dated December 11, NRLDC withdrew No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for 26 projects following the commissioning of the line and the commencement of operation of the long-term GNA.
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Developers have warned that a prolonged outage could severely impact the project’s viability and debt service, flagging the problem as a growing systemic risk as generation capacity continues to outpace transmission additions in renewable energy-rich states such as Rajasthan.
Industry representatives called on the government to consider short-term relief measures, including the implementation of the Special Protection Plan to improve evacuation under T-GNA and the dynamic reallocation of unused GNA margins to T-GNA projects during periods of low utilization. They also called for the use of Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) to maximize real-time transmission capacity and prevent renewable assets from becoming bogged down.
“Most of the 4.3 GW capacity is within the notified connection start date. But due to delay in commissioning of ATS (Associated Transmission System), they are forced to supply power under T-GNA. There is also no official channel through which a generator can get advance information about the additional transmission capacity that will be available by commissioning a new line,” said an industry official.
The projects facing 100 percent blackouts belong to multiple renewable energy companies, including Adani, ReNew, Serentica, Juniper, Zelestra, ACME and Amp Energy.
According to sources, the government had earlier said that the commissioning of the 765 kV Khetri-Narela transmission line would significantly reduce the 55% peak hour outage faced by Renewable Energy (RE) generators operating under the T-GNA arrangement.
“However, as per the latest data from Grid India, only 600 MW of transmission capacity has been added to the system after the addition of the Khetri-Narela line. However, the Central Transmission Authority of India has operationalized 4,375 MW of capacity under the long-term GNA, which has consumed the entire existing excess capacity and left almost no transmission availability for projects executed under T-GNA,” said another official from a leading renewable energy company running solar projects in Rajasthan.
According to an email communication from NRLDC on December 11, No Objection Certificate of these 26 projects has been withdrawn due to commissioning of 765 kV Khetri-Narela D/C lines and long-term GNA becoming operational. “The above facilities are requested not to violate the NOC in Plan or Actual,” the email said.
With limited release and lack of visibility on additional transmission capacity, 4 GW renewable energy projects face serious concerns about project viability and debt service, officials said.
To avoid capacity being squeezed, the industry has suggested that a T-GNA-only approach could be adopted for all future renewable energy capacity additions in Rajasthan until relief margins are clearly available, the chairman of a generation company said.
“Of the 23 GW of operational renewable energy capacity in Rajasthan, the transmission capacity is 18.9 GW. If this were distributed equally among all generators, the peak hour curtailment would be only 15%, which would be negligible for all generators on an annual basis”.
According to industry officials, the government urgently needs to take short-term relief measures to prevent a complete shutdown. For example, the government may seek to implement a Special Protection Plan (SPS) under the T-GNA, which would lead to a significant improvement in evacuation capacity.
SPS allows transmission corridors to operate closer to their actual physical capacity because it reduces the risk from sudden outages. This prevents cascading failures by reducing the predefined minimum generation only when necessary, rather than restricting the entire 4 GW in advance.
They said the government may also look at the mechanism of dynamic reallocation of unused GNA margins. During winter and periods of low production, there is a possibility that capacity may not be fully utilized during peak hours for renewable energy developers with long-term GNA. The margin from GNA should be transferred to T-GNA projects to increase evacuation corridors.
“To maximize system utilization, we recommend that margins be evaluated using DLR principles, allowing unused GNA margins to be reallocated to T-GNA generators in real time,” the president of the generating company said.
It was published – 14 December 2025 14:56 IST
