200 firms vie for solar projects in Rajasthan

• 14 years ago (2010-04-12)
• David Flin

Renewables 757

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NTPC, Tata Power, JSW Energy and Sterlite Energy are among over 200 companies that have sent in proposals to set up solar power projects in Rajasthan, India. Taken together, the capacity proposed by all the companies adds up to 7000MW. This interest has been shown despite the fact that the government has yet to call for bids for 1000MW grid connected projects under the national solar mission.

Moser Baer, Photon Solar and Lanco Solar are among companies that have sent proposals to the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation (RREC). The RREC is the nodal agency for promoting and developing nonconventional energy sources in Rajasthan. Most of the companies want to set up solar photovoltaic technology-based projects; a few have indicated that they want to set up solar thermal power plants. Senior officials of Tata Power and NTPC have confirmed that they had put in proposals, but declined to say anything more.

A Lanco Infratech official said: “Rajasthan offers the best solar potential in India. Being a desert state, land is available in abundance and at cheap rates.”

The Indian national solar mission aims to create 20,000 MW of solar power capacity by 2022. In the first phase, ending 2013, the government proposes grid-connected solar power generation of 1000MW. The solar power would be bundled with conventional power to bring down the cost and be sold to states by NTPC’s wholly-owned subsidiary NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam. The bundling proposal is limited to the first 1000MW generated under the national scheme.