Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi last week laid the foundation stone of the 500MW Gujarat Solar Park; which will be the largest solar power facility of its type in Asia.
The $1.8 billion solar park is being constructed on a 1,000-acre government plot at Charanka in north Gujarat. Mr. Modi also laid the foundation stone for the Smart Grid Transmission Network, being set up by Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation (GETCO).
Land within the park will be leased to various companies to establish solar farms, ranging in size from 1MW to 45MW. Manufacturing facilities for solar components will also be established within the park.
Mr. Modi said the project is expected to reduce power generation related carbon dioxide emissions by 7.25 million tonnes and save 816,000 tonnes of non-renewable fuel such as coal every year. He described the foundation stone laying ceremony as “the sunrise of India’s future energy programme.”
In a country where electricity supplies are often sporadic; particularly in rural regions, the Gujarat state government has resolved to ensure reliable electricity supply in every house. The project will also translate to many jobs for local residents during construction and subsequent operation.
The Gujarat Solar Park project is part of India’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). The country is aiming for 1,000 megawatts of new solar power capacity to be brought online by 2013, 20,000MW by 2022 and an incredible 200,000 MW by 2050.
The Mission also sets a goal of achieving parity with coal fired power generation by 2030 – and with solar power technology rapidly evolving, that goal may be realised much sooner than originally anticipated.
India’s Solar Mission will be funded in part from a coal tax.
