Azure Power India expands solar plant capacity

Makes its facility the largest single solar power project in India.

Solar developer Azure Power India expanded its 5MW facility in Rajasthan with an additional 35MW making it the largest project at a single location under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.

The company received US$70 million loan from the US Export Import Bank to construct the additional facility. Ex-Im Bank also provided US$16 million for the 5MW plant in July 2011, one of the first to receive financial backing from an international financing institution.

The plant is using thin-film PV modules from manufacturer First Solar. It is spread over 122 hectares that the company states will ensure sustainable development of the economy through income generation and local employment. The plant is expected to offset about 66,000 metric tonnes of CO2 per year.