UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon sometime back unveiled the plaque of a unique solar power plant in Baroda, Gujarat. The project, which was initiated by Shri Narendra Modi as State CM, is 10 Mega Watt solar power project. “Looking at the canal top, I saw the future of India and the future of our world. I saw India’s bright creativity, ingenuity and cutting-edge technology,” said Ban Ki-moon.
The solar plant, atop a 22 meter wide canal of running water, covers around 4 kilometer in length, where 33,816 solar panels have been installed over a mounting structure. The Rs 1,000 million project, set-up by Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL), is fully financed by the Gujarat Government. The showcase project has been executed by the Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), which will also maintain it for the next 25 years. The Hyderabad based MEIL earlier constructed a 50 MW solar plant in Maharashtra and a 20 MW plant in Andhra Pradesh. The plant is expected to produce over 16 million units of power in the first year and the entire output will be consumed by the SSNNL. India has an advantage of going for the solar mission as the country gets 70 per cent more solar radiation than any European country.
Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel pointed out that the SSNNL was purchasing power from a different company (Gujarat Urja Vin Nigam Limited) at the cost of rupees 6.48 per unit, where the prices were soaring annually, but the new solar project would generate the power at the cost of around rupees 7 only per unit. The project was set-up over a canal, there was no land requisition problem. Moreover it is expected to reduce the evaporation of the running water meaningless wastage of it. These all make the Vadodara canal top project a first-of-its-kind in the entire world, she said.
Prime Minister Modi recently announced that India would promote massive solar projects across the country as his government has raised its solar power target from 20,000 Mega Watt to 100,000 Mega Watt by 2022. The present Indian capacity is around 3,000 Mega Watt, where Gujarat produces highest volume of solar power (600 mw) followed by Rajasthan (500 mw), Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
Besides solar power generation, New Delhi also plans to harness 60,000 Mega Watt from the wind in the next seven years. All together, the energy-starved nation prepares for a massive plan for harnessing the renewable energy to feed its over one billion population.
In reality the world's largest growing economy is planning to reduce its dependence on imported oil from western nations with the help of enhancing renewable energy across India. -NJ Thakuria
(July 19, 2015 Page : 16)
