Even as Azure Power, one of the leading solar power producing companies, announces commissioning of 5 Mw solar photovoltaic plant in Khadoda village in Gujarat, the state government has allotted it a five acre land in the upcoming Solar Park in Patan. The company is now in the process of getting approval for setting up another solar power plant.
"While we will be commissioning a 5 Mw solar photovoltaic plant, the Gujarat government has now allotted a five acres land at the upcoming Solar Park in Patan. We are now in talks with the state government for necessary approvals to set up another solar power plant in the park," said HS Wadhwa, chairman, Azure Power.
The upcoming 5 Mw solar photovoltaic plant will be phase one of the company's plans to install 10 Mw solar power generation capacity in Gujarat.
The Khadoda Plant, set up at a cost of Rs 170 crore, is being constructed under the Build-Own-Operate (BOO) mode with Azure Power. For this, the Government of Gujarat has entered into a 25 year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Azure Power. Under this PPA, over 60 acres solar photovoltaic field will generate enough electricity to meet the power requirement of around 150 villages through GUVNL.
For solar power generation in Gujarat, Azure Power has seen an investment of $40 million (Rs 178.70 crore approx.) being made by Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a US government agency.
The plant, situated at Khadoda village, Sabarkantha district of Gujarat, will immediately generate clean solar power annually enough to light 1,00,000 rural homes. This will replace carbon emissions of around 15,000 metric tonnes, an equivalent of removing 15,000 cars from Indian roads every year, said Wadhwa. With this solar power project in Gujarat, Azure Power completes investment of over Rs 300 crore in solar generation in the country. "Ongoing talks with other state governments will take this total generating capacity to a combined production of 100 Mw solar power by 2014 with cumulative investment of Rs 1500 crore. The Government of Gujarat is resolved to lead the solar power adoption in the country with a target of installing 1,000 Mw solar power capacity by the end of 2012 and 3,000 MW in next five years. The state has already signed PPAs for over 900 Mw," said Wadhwa.
Meanwhile, the Khadoda plant will use approximately 9120 photovoltaic solar modules which help turn sunlight directly into electricity.