In line with the central government’s ambitious target of generating 175 gigawatt power from renewable energy sources by 2022, Gujarat has set the ball rolling for establishing India’s largest 5,000MW solar park in Dholera, around 80km from Ahmedabad. The state has also proposed a 200MW wind park in the same area.
The state government on Tuesday accorded its in-principle approval to the project, which will come up on 11,000 hectares of land along the Gulf of Khambhat in the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR).
“Gujarat is once again leading the way with the implementation of India’s, and probably the world’s, largest solar park of 5,000MW in DSIR,” chief minister Vijay Rupani said. “Initial studies have shown tremendous potential for generating solar power.”
According to government estimates, the construction of this massive solar park will attract an investment of Rs 25,000 crore and generate employment for over 20,000 people.
“This solar park will not only create employment for local residents but will also create opportunities for the entire supply chain to set up manufacturing facilities in the adjacent Dholera Industrial City,” Rupani said.
Solar panel manufactures, heavy engineering companies, and other businesses have already started inquiring about the opportunities to set up facilities in Dholera.
Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd (GPCL), Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) and Gujarat Electric Transmission Corporation (GETCO) along with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and the Central Transmission Unit (CTU) are already on board for implementing the project.
Manoj Das, principal secretary to the CM and in-charge principal secretary, industry & mines department, said: “The required land for the proposed park is already with the state government and there will be no need for private land acquisition. The land is of CRZ type 1(B) which can be used for mangrove plantation or renewable energy generation.” So there will be no issue of environment clearance because the land has already has environment clearance, he said.
The government also plans to set up a 200MW wind park in DSIR, which is expected to attract additional investment to the tune of Rs 1,400 crore.
The state government last year broke ground for a 700MW ultra-mega solar park at Radhanesda village of Vav taluka in Banaskantha district. This project is located some 150km from Patan district’s Charanka, which houses the state’s first such park with 700MW capacity. Apart from this, another 500MW solar park at Suigam in Banaskantha is in the pipeline.
At present, the total installed power generation capacity of Gujarat is 1,420MW; the state was once the top solar power generating state. With other states such as Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu adding more capacity, Gujarat ranked fifth as on October 2017.
