30/11/2016 HarnessingSolarPower:RajasthanLeadsthePath

PressInformationBureau
GovernmentofIndia
SpecialServiceandFeatures
24May201611:27IST
HarnessingSolarPower:RajasthanLeadsthePath

Feature
2YearsofGovernment

PragyaPaliwalGaur*
Indiaisrunningthelargestrenewablecapacityexpansionprogrammeintheworld.Thegovernmentisaimingto
increase share of clean energy through massive thrust in renewables. At Global Conference REINVEST 2015 in
February2015, Prime Minster Shri Narendra Modis statement India is graduating from Megawatts to Gigawatts in
RenewableEnergyproduction,setupthehigherexpectationofcleanenergygenerationinthecountry.Thegovernmenthas
upscaledthetargetofrenewableenergycapacityto175GWbytheyear2022whichincludes100GWfromSolarpower.
ThegovernmenthasrevisedtheNationalSolarMissiontargetofGridconnectedSolarPowerProjectsfrom20,000MWby
2022byfivetimestogenerate1,00,000MWsolarpowerby2022.Thetargetwillprincipallycompriseof40GWRooftop
and60GWthroughLargeandMediumScaleGridconnectedSolarPowerProjects.
To achieve these targets, the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has initiated several projects like
schemeforDevelopmentofSolarParksandUltraMegaSolarPowerProjectsSchemeforDevelopmentofSolarPVPower
PlantsonCanalBanks/CanaltopsSchemeforsettingup300MWofGridconnectedSolarPVPowerProjectsbyDefence
EstablishmentsunderMinistryofDefenceandParaMilitaryForceswithviabilityGapFundingSchemeofsettingup1000
MWofGridconnectedSolarPVPowerProjectswithCPSUswithViabilityGapFundingSchemeforsettingupof15000
MW of Grid connected to achieve the target setting up of 2000 MW Grid connected solar power with Viability Gap
FundingthroughSolarEnergyCorporationofIndia(SECI).AnotherambitionsSchemehasbeenlaunchedbytheMinistry
forRoofTopsolarinstallations.

Rajasthan shines on the solar energy map of India with 300330 clearsunnydayscomparabletothedeserts of
California,Nevada,ColoradoandArizona.WithinthestatethedistrictssuchasBarmer,Bikaner,JaisalmerandJodhpurare
thekeyregionswithbestsolarradiation.Rajasthanisendowedwithtwocriticalresourcesthatareessentialtosolarpower
production:highlevelofsolarradiation(67kwh/m2/day)andlargetractsofrelativelyflat,undevelopedland.
Rajasthancameatnumberoneplaceinthecountrywith1766millionunitpowerproductionduringtheyear201516
inthefieldofsolarpower.Thisyear,therehasbeenagrowthof1.6percentinsolarpowerproduction.During201516on
anaverage,4.83millionunitpowerwasproduceddailyinRajasthan.Atpresent,thetotalcommissionedcapacityofsolar
poweris1284MWinthestate.
SpecialeffortshavebeenmadeinRajasthanforincreasingtheproductionofSolarPowerintheState.RooftopSPV
systemsarebeingpromotedinaplannedmannerandworkisonforsettingupof6MWofRoofTopSVPsystemsinthe
state.1.50lakhsolarpowerdomesticunitshavebeensetupinruralandurbanareasofthestate.13,943SolarPumpsets
have been installed all over the state. Ministry of New and Renewable sources of Energy, Government of India has
sanctioned3SolarParks2180MWcapacityinVillageBhadlaofJodhpur,750MWinPhalodiPokaranand1500MW
SolarparksinFatehgarhPhaseIBinJaisalmerdistrict.

AccordingtoSolarPowerPolicy2014ofthestate,GovernmentofRajasthanisgivingpreferencetoPublicPrivate
Partnership in establishment of Solar Power Parks. One such project is the unique 1 Megawatt India One Solar Thermal
Power Plant being set up by the World Renewal Spiritual Trust, a registered Charitable Trust/solar research centre and a
sister organisation of the Brahmakumaris, at Mount Abu in Rajasthan. The thermal solar plant built jointly by the World
Renewal Spiritual Trust and Germanys Fraunkhofer institute (ISE) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energys
supportoftheprojectunderitsR&DSchemewith12.6crores.Beingbuiltwiththecostofalmost100crorestheplantwill
startgeneratingpowerinayear.Thethermalsolarpowerplantwillbethefirstofitskindintheworldindishtechnologyin
directsteamgenerationmode,withfullthermalstoragefor16hourscontinuousoperationsforbaseload.
WithPublicPrivateParticipationandactivefollowupontheSolarPowerPolicyintheState,thedayisnotfarwhen
Rajasthanwillbecomeselfsufficientandasurplusstateintermsofsolarpower.

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30/11/2016 HarnessingSolarPower:RajasthanLeadsthePath

PhotoCaption:

ProjectsiteofIndiaOneSolarThermalPowerPlantbeingsetupbytheWorldRenewalSpiritualTrustatMountAbuin
Rajasthan.

*PragyaPaliwalGaurisDirector(M&C),PIB,Jaipur

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