The State of Gujarat, India, will put up a 500 MW solar energy park in a period of two years and it will become the largest solar power park in Asia.
The state has declared its solar power policy during January 2009 with an ambition to have 1,000 MW power production capability in 2012 and 3,000 MW by the year 2014. The state has already contracted power purchase agreements to the tune of 934 MW.
For the proposed 500 MW solar park, the companies such as Lanco and GMR, which have received allotment for the power production, will invest around Rs. 8,000 crore. The companies have received the allotment letter for solar power generation under the state sponsored Gujarat Solar Mission.
The solar park is being formulated by Gujarat Power Corporation (GCPL), the nodal agency, over 2,000 hectares of unused wasteland close to Rann of Kutch, in the Patan district. In the first phase of the operation, around 150 solar power production companies will generate around 176 MW power and Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation will set up a power pooling station to collect the generated power. In the first phase of development, out of the total allotted amount of Rs.1,287 crore, an amount of 351 crores will be spent for the purchase of land and setting up of the power infrastructure and 624 crore towards evacuation facilities. The project when completed will generate around 800 million units of power.
The solar project has received Rs.210 crore as one time additional assistance from the Central Planning Commission and the Asian Development Bank has given its accord for $ 100 million as soft loan for the project, which includes developing and installing a smart grid for transfer of power.