ReNew Cuts Operational Emissions as India Expands Clean Power Capacity

ReNew Energy Global has reported a 25.6% reduction in its Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions from its FY2021-22 baseline, exceeding its target of a 23.5% reduction for the 2025-26 financial year.

The Indian renewable energy company disclosed the figures in its latest annual integrated report, alongside continued expansion of its renewable generation, energy storage and solar manufacturing businesses.

During FY2025-26, ReNew generated 24.7 billion units, equivalent to 24.7 terawatt-hours, of clean electricity. The company estimates that this output was sufficient to supply approximately 21.2 million Indian households and avoided around 20.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

The operational emissions reduction is aligned with ReNew's Science Based Targets initiative-validated pathway towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. The company also reported that 84% of the electricity consumed across its operations came from renewable sources during the year.

ReNew said it remained carbon neutral for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions for a sixth consecutive year. Its direct Scope 1 emissions include emissions associated with sources such as petrol and diesel consumption, while Scope 2 covers indirect emissions related primarily to purchased electricity.

The figures show how renewable energy companies are increasingly being assessed not only on the emissions avoided by the electricity they produce, but also on the environmental footprint of their own operations, manufacturing activities, and supply chains.

Renewable Portfolio Reaches 12.6 GW

ReNew expanded its commissioned power generation portfolio to approximately 12.6 GW by the end of March 2026, following the addition of around 2.4 GW during the financial year, its highest annual commissioning level to date.

The new capacity included approximately 1.75 GW of solar, 620 MW of wind and 25 MW/100 MWh of battery energy storage. ReNew said its overall portfolio, including projects that had not yet entered operation, reached around 20 GW at the end of the financial year.

Its operational assets now include approximately 6.8 GW of solar generation, 5.6 GW of wind, 100 MW of hydropower and battery storage capacity. The company operates more than 150 renewable energy sites across India.

Battery storage is becoming increasingly important as India's share of variable renewable electricity rises. Solar and wind generation can fluctuate with weather conditions and time of day, creating greater demand for storage, transmission infrastructure, forecasting and flexible power resources.

India's Ministry of Power has said the national transmission system is being planned to accommodate more than 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, with grid studies and transmission projects being used to manage intermittency and maintain system stability.

ReNew's broader portfolio includes approximately 1.7 GW and 6.2 GWh of battery energy storage capacity at different stages of development, illustrating how large renewable developers are increasingly combining generation and storage rather than developing wind or solar projects in isolation.

Solar Manufacturing Becomes a Larger Part of the Business

ReNew is also expanding further into domestic solar manufacturing.

The company currently operates approximately 6.4 GW of solar module manufacturing capacity and 2.5 GW of solar cell capacity. During FY2025-26, its manufacturing operations produced more than 4.1 GW of modules and almost 1.86 GW of cells.

Another 4 GW of solar cell manufacturing capacity is under development and is expected to become operational by December 2026. ReNew is also developing a 6.5 GW ingot and wafer manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh.

The expansion reflects a wider effort to develop more of India's clean energy supply chain domestically. Manufacturing cells, wafers and modules within the country can reduce dependence on imported components while supporting industrial investment associated with the energy transition.

ReNew reported INR 40.8 billion in external revenue from its solar manufacturing business during FY2025-26, indicating that manufacturing is becoming a material commercial activity rather than solely serving the company's own project pipeline.

India Passes 300 GW of Non-Fossil Capacity

ReNew's growth is taking place during a period of rapid expansion across India's wider renewable energy market.

India passed 300 GW of installed non-fossil electricity generation capacity on July 31, 2026, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

The total included 164.59 GW of solar, 58.14 GW of wind, 57.24 GW of large and small hydropower, 11.75 GW of bioenergy and 8.78 GW of nuclear capacity. Non-fossil sources consequently represented more than 54% of India's approximately 552 GW of total installed electricity generation capacity.

Renewable energy excluding nuclear reached approximately 291.7 GW at the end of July.

India is working towards 500 GW of installed non-fossil electricity capacity by 2030, meaning substantial additional investment will still be required in generation, storage, transmission networks and other supporting infrastructure during the remainder of the decade.

Importantly, installed capacity does not translate directly into the same proportion of electricity generation. Solar and wind plants generally operate at lower capacity factors than coal, nuclear, or some hydroelectric facilities. In FY2025-26, non-fossil sources accounted for 29.2% of India's actual electricity generation despite representing more than half of installed generating capacity.

That distinction highlights why grid flexibility, energy storage and round-the-clock renewable power products are becoming central to the next phase of India's transition.

Resource Efficiency Moves Alongside Carbon Reductions

ReNew's latest sustainability reporting also covers environmental impacts beyond greenhouse gas emissions.

The company reported saving approximately 617,167 cubic metres, or 617 million litres, of water through measures including robotic solar panel cleaning. It recycled almost 52,928 cubic metres of water, representing a 32% increase from the previous year, and reported zero liquid discharge across its operations.

ReNew also stated that it diverted 100% of its waste from landfill during the reporting period.

Its circular economy initiative, Project Revival, restored approximately 621 tonnes of spare parts, allowing components to be returned to use rather than immediately replaced. Such programmes can become increasingly relevant as India's renewable asset base grows and larger volumes of solar panels, wind equipment, batteries and associated infrastructure eventually require repair, refurbishment or recycling.

Supply-chain emissions and environmental risks are another area receiving additional attention. ReNew said all its identified critical suppliers were assessed against environmental, social and governance criteria for the second consecutive year.

For large renewable developers, these indirect impacts are particularly significant because much of the lifecycle carbon footprint associated with solar and wind power comes from manufacturing materials such as steel, aluminium, silicon and concrete rather than from electricity generation itself.

ReNew's figures therefore illustrate two parallel aspects of India's energy transition. The first is the rapid installation of renewable generation required to displace fossil fuel electricity over time. The second is the increasing need to reduce emissions and resource consumption throughout the clean energy supply chain itself.

As India moves towards its 500 GW non-fossil capacity objective, the performance of major developers will increasingly depend on their ability to combine renewable generation with storage, manufacturing, transmission access, industrial power supply, and tighter management of lifecycle environmental impacts.

Source: sustainabilitymag.com