SunEdison inaugurates 50-MW solar power plant in Madhya Pradesh

SunEdison Inc, the world's largest renewable energy development company, inaugurated the Dammakhedi 50-megawatt (MW) DC solar power plant in Madhya Pradesh on June 30, 2015. Dammakhedi is the first solar power plant in the state to use single axis tracker technology to maximise energy production.
 
“As India's economy continues to grow, it will need access to clean, cost effective, and reliable electricity. Solar generated electricity is the ideal solution. Solar is more cost effective than energy generated from fossil fuels in India, solar power plants can be built quickly and additional capacity can be easily added later on. The Dammakhedi plant uses the latest solar technologies to maximise energy production, and is a case study in SunEdison's ability to deliver projects quickly and efficiently,” stated Pashupathy Gopalan, SunEdison Asia-Pacific president.
 
Dammakhedi is connected to the Madhya Pradesh state grid, delivering power to the central government's Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). It is among the first projects to be commissioned under the second phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). Madhya Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Department (MPNRED) is the state nodal agency assigned to oversee the project on a local level, and Sterling and Wilson and Larson and Toubro assisted as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors for the project. The plant was interconnected in December 2014.
 
Manu Srivastava, principal secretary and commissioner, New and Renewable Energy Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh, and managing director of the Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam, said, "The Madhya Pradesh government and the New and Renewable Energy Department have been proactive in promoting renewable energy in the state. We are happy with the outcome of this joint effort between the government of Madhya Pradesh and SunEdison.”