26-05-2025
Gujarat to fortify green energy grid with Rs 29k cr investment
Ahmedabad: With renewable energy now accounting for 58% of Gujarat's installed power capacity — well above the national average of 47% — the state govt is pushing ahead with a major expansion of its transmission and distribution infrastructure.
As part of its long-term strategy to support this green shift, Gujarat will invest Rs 29,000 crore to develop the third Green Energy Corridor (GEC-III), aimed at transmitting 16,500MW of renewable power from across the state.
The transmission upgrade is designed to keep pace with both rising capacity and the evolving mix, which is increasingly dominated by solar and wind. The GEC-III will enable connectivity between new renewable energy zones in Kutch, Jamnagar-Bet Dwarka, Banaskantha-Patan, and parts of central Gujarat, according to sources.
It will involve building 3,430 circuit kilometres of lines through six 765kV substations and an additional 860 circuit kilometres through four 400kV substations.
Four statcoms will be installed to maintain power quality across the network.
Officials said the GEC projects are central to Gujarat's goal of developing a "foolproof" grid that ensures the smooth integration of intermittent renewable sources into the state's energy backbone.
The corridors are designed to feed clean energy into industrial belts and urban load centres while supporting the broader ambition of energy security and grid stability.
The Rs 29,000 crore investment comes alongside two earlier corridor projects: GEC-I, a Rs 1,932 crore project targeting 4,000MW, and GEC-II, worth Rs 3,636 crore, which is slated for completion by March 2027.
The state's push is backed by a broader plan to modernise the grid through capital-intensive upgrades and adoption of advanced technologies.
Parallel to transmission development, Gujarat is strengthening its distribution network under the revamped distribution sector scheme (RDSS), with initiatives such as underground cabling, loss reduction and digital transformation to ensure reliable, affordable and high-quality power across sectors.
Gujarat already leads the country in rooftop solar adoption, with 5.3GW installed across over 9.6 lakh households. It also ranks first in wind power and second in solar energy. The state's resource adequacy plan targets 42GW of renewable capacity by 2035, supported by favourable policy frameworks and private sector interest.
With the green energy corridors forming the arteries of this transition, Gujarat's energy roadmap reflects a focused attempt to combine sustainability, investment, and innovation in pursuit of a resilient power ecosystem.
