Asia’s largest Solar Power Plant in Madhya Pradesh

By Udbhav Bhargava

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had laid the foundation stone in December 2017. The solar plant will generate 750 MW electricity and was established with an investment of Rs 4,500 crore.

WHO DEVELOPED THE PROJECT?

The solar park was founded by Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Ltd (RUMSL), a joint venture between the Indian Solar Energy Corporation and MP Urja Vikas Nigam, with a 50 per cent stake on both sides. This project consists of three 250 MW solar electricity generating units each located on a 500-hectare plot of land located within a Solar Park (in the total area of 1500-hectare). This project would reduce carbon emissions equal to about 15,00,000 tons of CO2 each year.

Rs 138 crore has been granted by central financial assistance to RUMSL for the establishment of the Park. This is the first project in India to receive support from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF). This is the country’s first solar plant to crack the “grid parity barrier”. The Rewa project achieved the first-year tariff of Rs 2.97 per unit with a tariff escalation of Rs 0.05 per unit over 15 years compared with solar project tariffs of around Rs 4.50 per unit in early 2017.

WHO WILL UTILISE THE ELECTRICITY GENERATED FROM THE PROJECT?

 It will be the first clean energy project outside the state to bring to institutional clients. Delhi Metro will harvest 24 of the project’s capacity. The remaining 76 percent is being supplied to Madhya Pradesh ‘s state distribution firms. The project also won a Creativity and Excellence Award from World Bank Group Chief. It was included in the Prime Minister’s ‘A Book of Innovation: New Beginnings’.

WHY THE PROJECT IS IMPORTANT?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the national target of achieving 100 GW of solar power generation potential by 2022 when India completes 75 years of its independence from British rule.

SOLAR PARK INITIATIVE The solar park is a focused area for the construction of projects for solar power generation and provides developers with an environment that is well defined, with adequate facilities and access to services and where project risk can be reduced. Solar Park is also helping developers by raising the amount of approvals required. It was planned to set up at least 25 solar parks, each with a capacity of 500 MW and above; Thereby targeting around 20,000 MW of solar power installed capacity.