Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India has emerged as the most attractive global market for clean energy and added that self-reliance in electricity is a key component of the Centre’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ campaign.

Launching a 750 MW solar project in Rewa in Madhya Pradesh through video-conferencing, Modi also said the state will emerge as a major hub for clean and cheap power in the country.

“Solar energy is sure, pure and secure and the country is now among the top five solar power producers in the world,” he said.

“The Rewa solar power plant will not only supply power to Madhya Pradesh, but also to the Delhi Metro,” Modi said.

Work is going on in Madhya Pradesh for setting up similar solar power plants in Shajapur, Neemuch and Chhatarpur and also a floating facility in Omkareshwar (a temple town in Khandwa district).

The Rewa project also exemplifies India’s commitment to attain the target of 175 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by the year 2022, including 100 GW of solar installed capacity.

Rewa solar power plant

The project comprises three solar generating units of 250 MW each located on a 500 hectare plot of land situated inside a Solar Park (total area 1500 hectare). 

The Solar Park was developed by the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL), a joint venture company of Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (MPUVN), and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).  

Central financial assistance of Rs 138 crore has been provided to RUMSL for development of the park. 

After the park had been developed, Mahindra Renewables Private Ltd, ACME Jaipur Solar Power Private Ltd, and Arinsun Clean Energy Private Ltd were selected by RUMSL through reverse auction for developing three solar generating units of 250 MW each inside the Solar Park.

Row over claim on Asia’s largest solar park

The government said that Rewa Ultra Mega Solar (RUMS) project is Asia’s largest such power facility.

However, Congress rejected the claim. “Union Power Minister must answer as to how the central government can claim that the Rewa Solar Park (750 MW) is Asia’s largest when clearly the Pavagada Park in Karnataka is much larger (2,000 MW) and was opened two years back,” D.K. Shivakumar, the Congress’ Karnataka unit chief and a former energy minister in the state, asked. 

The Pavagada park was developed by the Karnataka Solar Park Development Corporation Limited (KSPDCL), a joint venture between the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and the Karnataka Renewable Energy (KREDL).

The solar park, known as Shakti Sthala, is located around 180 km from Bengaluru in the Pavagada region of the Tumkur district.

Solar Energy Corporation of India

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is a central public sector undertaking (CPSU) under the administrative control of the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE), set up on September 20, 2011. 

It is the only CPSU dedicated to the solar energy sector. The company is responsible for implementation of a number of schemes of MNRE, major ones being the schemes for large-scale grid-connected projects under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), solar park scheme and grid-connected solar rooftop scheme, along with a host of other specialised schemes.

International Solar Alliance

PM Modi, during his inaugural address, said that the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was launched with the motive to unite the entire World in terms of solar energy. He said the spirit behind was ‘One World, One Sun, One Grid’.

ISA was jointly launched by Modi and French President Francois Hollande on November 30, 2015, in Paris on the sidelines of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the UNFCCC.

As many as 67 countries have signed and ratified the ISA Framework Agreement.

The vision and mission of the ISA is to provide a dedicated platform for cooperation among solar resource-rich countries that lie completely or partially between the Tropics of Capricorn & Cancer, the global stakeholders, including bilateral and multilateral organisations, corporates and industry to make a positive contribution to assist and help achieve the common goals of increasing the use of solar energy in meeting energy needs of prospective ISA member countries in a safe, convenient, affordable, equitable and sustainable manner.

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