World’s largest solar plant to rise in Rajasthan

“Ultra mega” plant will generate 4 GW.

The “Sambhar Ultra Mega Green Solar Power Project,” a project of the Ministry of Heavy Industry, will see its first phase generate 1 GW, 10 times more than the largest operational Indian solar power plant, by 2016. The first phase of the project will be implemented through a joint venture company to be formed with equity from state-owned firms BHEL, Solar Energy Corporation of India, Power Grid Corporation,Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam and Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Ltd.

The power plant will be built on a 23,000 acre site close to Sambhar Lake, 75 km from Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan. Its proposed capacity is around three times India’s current total solar power production. “Being the first project of this scale anywhere in the world this project is expected to set a trend for large scale solar power development in the world,” the government said.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said India’s entire electricity demand for 2012 could be met if “mega” solar projects were built on just 5% of the nation’s unused desert land. India is expected to add 2.8 GW of solar capacity in 2014. Rajasthan has auctioned 75 MW of PV capacity this year with projects to be commissioned by 2015.