World’s Largest Solar Power Project Planned
Gujarat, a state of India, is quite eager to opt for alternative sources of energy. It started out as a small dream. The Gujarat government visualized only 500 MW of solar power generation by 2014. But this humble goal may now be increased to 3,000 MW. The Gujarat Government is undertaking a $10 billion project and it will hold the distinction of the world’s largest solar power facility in India. This project will be backed by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. The 3,000oMW project will get aid with logistics and financial support from the William J Clinton Foundation. This foundation is a charitable organization founded by the former President. The foundation and the Gujarat government signed a preliminary agreement on Sept. 8, 2009.
Recently a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Mr S. Jagadeesan, Principal Secretary, State Energy Department, and Mr Ira Magaziner, Chairman of the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI). Jagdeesan stated, “The Clinton Foundation will help us in bringing manufacturers and power generators and also in providing access to international funding at cost-effective interest rates. They are facilitators. We will invest in the infrastructure.” The project would be allotted a 10,000 hectares of land spread across three locations within an area of 150 square kilometers (58 square miles) in Gujarat.
The Clinton Climate Initiative which is a part of the foundation will assist in identifying producers of solar thermal equipment. Jagdeesan said, the manufacturers will be selected in three to four months. The Gujarat government will establish the solar parks in special economic zones. They will focus on in developing manufacturing facilities close to the generation site to reduce costs.
The project would be completed in the time span of five years. Gujarat Government along with CCI will try to arrange cheap funds from multilateral agencies such as the Asian Development Bank. The state government will also try to incorporate hybrid plants in the project that use both solar energy and natural gas to generate power.
“When there is sunshine we’ll generate using solar and when the sun is not shining we’ll generate using natural gas,” Jagdeesan said. “Gas is available to us in Gujarat. We will provide gas connectivity.”
The proposed solar energy park will cover an area of around 5,000 hectares. The solar site will be in the cities of Banaskantha, Patan, Surendranagar and Kutch. This area is mostly an infertile desert land and an ideal site for harnessing solar energy.
In January, the State Government had announced a solar energy policy to harness the potential of the inexhaustible source, and has allotted a capacity of over 700 MW to 34 national and international developers for setting up solar power plants in the State.
According to the MoU signed with the CCI, the State Government would look after identification of land and provide the infrastructure for setting up the solar power plants. It would request national and international developers to set up these plants on chargeable basis for the infrastructure created. The power created by these installations would be purchased by the State power utilities.
The projected 3,000-plus MW solar power installations would produce over 5,200 million units of energy. They will naturally help in reducing carbon-dioxide emission to the extent of 5.2 million tonnes per year. This project is also expected to generate employment opportunities for over 20,000 people.
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September 26th, 2009
I bet you guys didnt know Texas was the nations leading wind energy producer when Bush was the governor.
September 26th, 2009
Yeah, Texas also was the leading executioner state when Bush was the governor.
September 26th, 2009
Why can’t we do this in the US? Seriously, why? Damn oil companies…
September 26th, 2009
Ya know, India is doing a lot of efficiency projects like this… must be their population density and is it just me or does India have/attract particularly motivated intellectual and spiritual people, despite it’s poverty.
Well, more than the oil companies, .is the people in the us. We indirectly support the oil companies by our short-sighted consumer habits.
September 26th, 2009
Very good step… hope other underdeveloped countries will join this alternative nature source of energy.
September 26th, 2009
We need to do this here in the US… these could be jobs… good jobs.
Manufacturing the parts… installation and maintenance
September 26th, 2009
I wouldn’t give the people or government India too much credt for this project. It’s vast expansion in scope is primarily due to the financial backing of William Clinton Foundation and Clinton Climate Initiative. (Thanks Uncle Bill). Also India does not have sufficient fossil fuel resources, nor the delivery grid infastructure or access to Nuclear development that Europe has embraced. It’s wrong to assume India’s motivation is intellectually based. They are blessed with a perfect environment for Solar development and Western financial backing. It’s easyto assume that India would be just as consumptive as the US if they had the wealth to support such habits. That’s not enlightenment, it’s economics.
September 26th, 2009
This is a very good development. Exploitation of solar energy as one of the alternative sources of energy is need of the hour. This may greatly help us conserve our fast depleting natural resources.
September 26th, 2009
Please keep us posted with the progress. I am curious to know how the outcomes are tied to local communities to reduce unemployment and increase business ownership.
September 26th, 2009
India leads the way. Solar power to charge solar bikes!
September 26th, 2009
Good, but wait til advanced .4 & .5 conversion solar cells develop — less effect on Wildlife, Plants and habitat.
September 26th, 2009
There is so much sunshine in India, its a shame this was not done much early (better late than never). Finally Gujarat shows the way and hopefully other Indian states will follow through.
September 26th, 2009
A project that deserves great recognition. It is obvious that non-oil producing countries are those with the need and duty to develop all sources of alternative energy for its own development and environmental conservation. They should be provided all the attention and support.
September 27th, 2009
Though this is a non-starter project -The day will come when SELCO and Gujarat and Clinton Foundation will do good to many who needs light.
Rajendra
September 27th, 2009
The visionary that India has is very impressive and one that all other countries can aspire too. The amount of energy striking the earth is nothing less than phenomenal and can be harvested by most countries if they only tried to.
I just had 1700 w of photovoltaic installed and have watch my meter STOP and even run backwards.
That is true satisfaction.
Howard B
September 28th, 2009
This sounds like a wet cooled plant. Three thousand megawatts will require 16,000 acre feet of water. You can try to make this as rosy as you want, but you should know that it is not sustainable for a overpopulated, poverty stricken nation the size of Californa with almost 2 billion people to use up that much water. India does not have those kind of resources.
September 28th, 2009
Steven I hate it when I don’t get it. 16,000 acre feet of water? A wet cooled plant? Poor people need electricity too. India has a car that is reputed to get 100 mile per gallon and sells for under $5000.00. There is a lot of very bright people that live in India that need and are willing to work for green power installation.
Thanks Steven
Howard Butts
September 29th, 2009
Mr Austin, India’s population is 1.2B not 2B, and its land area is 7.75 times that of California. So its population density is about 8% of what you suggested. If you can’t get basic geography right, then what could you possibly know about India’s resources? And why use archaic units that the rest of the world abandoned decades ago? Units that tell us nothing about water consumption rate?
September 29th, 2009
How many acre/feet of water fall during one one monsoon season?
October 5th, 2009
Sounds like a great idea. Developing countries such as India are big polluters so anything that offsets this has to be welcomed.
October 7th, 2009
I’m a sophomore in high school and we are learning about solar power in science class. I think that it is cool and that it can do a lot to save the earth and save money in the long run. We have to make a solar cook for our project this month and the information on it is so amazing. I mean the fact that the food u can cook with it is healthier and it wouldn’t burn. So now we are writing a 200 word essay on solar power and weather or not we think it is a good thing or a bad, but i believe it is good.
What’s good for the earth is good for me.
October 15th, 2009
This sounds like a wonderful idea, where we could reduce both the pollution and increase the employment in a highly populated country like this, instead of going on depending on coal.