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Renewable energy developers in Rajasthan are facing severe power curtailment, with over 4 GW of commissioned solar capacity experiencing near-total shutdowns during peak generation hours. This continues despite the commissioning of the 765 kV Khetri Narela transmission line, which was expected to ease congestion. Projects operating under temporary grid access are most affected, raising concerns over revenue loss, debt servicing, and investor confidence. Grid constraints such as voltage issues and overloaded corridors remain unresolved. Authorities have proposed technical reviews, faster transmission upgrades, and better data sharing. Developers warn that prolonged curtailment could slow renewable investments and impact India's clean energy targets.
Renewable energy developers in Rajasthan continue to face significant power curtailment, with more than 4 gigawatts (GW) of commissioned capacity witnessing near-total shutdowns during peak solar generation hours. This has persisted despite the recent commissioning of the 765 kV Khetri Narela transmission line, which was expected to ease congestion in the region. Advertisement
The issue was reviewed at a stakeholder meeting held on December 15, 2025, where it was highlighted that renewable projects operating under the Temporary General Network Access (T-GNA) mechanism are facing almost 100 per cent curtailment between 11 am and 2 pm. According to sources familiar with the discussions, curtailments have intensified since the Khetri Narela line became operational on December 12, contrary to earlier expectations.
Grid India informed stakeholders that prior to the commissioning of the new transmission line, around 3.8 GW of renewable capacity was permitted to inject power during peak solar hours under T-GNA. Following the line's commissioning, the Central Transmission Utility of India Limited (CTUIL) made connectivity approvals effective for about 4.8 GW of renewable capacity. However, nearly 4 GW of already commissioned projects continue to face restrictions during peak hours and are allowed to inject power only during non-peak periods on a staggered basis.
The Sustainable Projects Developers Association (SPDA) said Grid India data indicates that the Khetri Narela line has added only about 600 megawatts of effective transmission margin. The association also noted that while connectivity approvals have been granted for around 5.2 GW of projects, only about 4.4 GW is currently operational. Nearly 850 megawatts of connectivity has been revoked, which, according to SPDA, should have already freed up approximately 1.5 GW of transmission margin. The reasons for the ongoing scale of curtailment remain unclear.
Grid India cited several technical constraints affecting renewable power evacuation from Rajasthan. These include voltage oscillations at renewable energy complexes, low short-circuit ratios at pooling stations, loading constraints on the Bhadla Bikaner 400 kV corridor, and high loading on the 765 kV Bikaner Khetri line.
Developers cautioned that prolonged curtailment poses serious risks to project viability, debt servicing, and investor confidence. Projects that are within their notified connectivity start dates but are forced to operate under T-GNA due to delays in associated transmission infrastructure are particularly affected. Extended shutdowns also limit the operation of stabilising equipment such as static VAR generators and harmonic filters, which could have implications for grid stability.
To address the issue, authorities agreed on several action points. These include sharing phasor measurement unit (PMU) data with affected developers to help mitigate voltage oscillations, providing firm timelines for commissioning under-construction transmission projects, and fast-tracking the upgradation of the Bhadla Bikaner 400 kV line. Grid India and CTUIL will also jointly examine additional transmission augmentation options, including the use of dynamic line rating, and place these before the next National Committee on Transmission meeting.
Separately, SPDA has called for urgent policy and operational interventions. These include evaluating a Special Protection Scheme for Rajasthan to manage N-1 contingency constraints, interim allocation of limited evacuation capacity among stranded and upcoming projects, and dynamic reallocation of unused general network access margins to T-GNA generators.
While several transmission projects are expected to be commissioned over the next six months, developers said there is limited clarity on how much additional evacuation capacity these will unlock. Stakeholders warned that without timely corrective measures, continued curtailment in Rajasthan could slow renewable capacity additions, create stressed assets, and impact India's target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
Source: PTI
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