After allotting capacities to 34 developers for generating a total of 716 Mw of solar power, as many as seven developers have come calling to the state for setting up solar panel manufacturing units here.
The seven players who have shown interest in setting up solar modules manufacturing units in the state include Lanco Solar, Moser Baer, Mumbai based PLG Power, Hyderabad based Solar Semiconductor, Sunkon Energy, Gandhinagar based Top Sun Energy Ltd and Surat based Waree Energies, said a government official close to the development.
While the exact size of the project and related investment details are awaited from the developers, the cost of setting up a solar module manufacturing unit would be about Rs 500-1,000 crore, depending on the size, the official further said.
Lanco Solar has proposed an investment of about Rs 4,000 crore in the state which includes a 200 Mw solar photo-voltaic power plant. The proposed investment includes Rs 1,000 crore for solar module manufacturing unit.
All the seven players have meanwhile been allotted different capacities under the state's solar policy for setting up power plants that will generate power using solar photovoltaic cells.
The state government meanwhile is considering to set up a Solar SEZ and aims to rope in manufacturers in the special economic zone.
"The manufacturers can plan their capacities once we allot them capacities. And this we did it very recently. Apart from the solar modules being required for their own PV plants, the modules produced by the seven players can also be sold to various other players whose projects would come up in the SEZ. Besides there is a good overseas market too," sources said.
Meanwhile, Clinton Foundation's proposed 'Solar Integrated City' project may also come up in the proposed SEZ.
The Central government has recently approached the state to consider setting up a 'Solar SEZ' in Gujarat.
A senior official from the Department of Commerce, government of India had written a letter to the state's energy department for considering a Solar SEZ in the state, sources privy to the development said.
Besides Kutch, two more locations including one in Jharad in Banaskantha and Shantalpur in Patan district are being considered for the project. Clinton Foundation is scouting for about 15,000 acres of GIDC land for the project that will generate about 3,000 Mw of solar thermal power.
