Gujarat gets IFC aid for distributed solar project

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is working on a public-private partnership (PPP) deal with Gujarat to design and structure a distributed/ rooftop solar power project in Gandhinagar.

The project includes the installation of rooftop solar panels that will generate 40 megawatts of power for nearly 100,000 households in Gandhinagar and it will also contribute to Gujarat’s goal of installing 500 megawatts of solar capacity by March 2014.

The pilot project for a 5-megawatt solar installation is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 6,000 tons a year and mobilize private sector investment.

The project will be the first of its kind in India. Private sector responsibilities will include financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of the facilities.

IFC’s Public-Private Partnership and Sustainable Business Advisory teams will work together to provide advice to the Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute for the design and structuring of the public-private partnership project. Following the pilot, the government will roll out the program to the entire city.

“We are happy to have the expertise and knowledge of an institution like IFC to help Gandhinagar become a model solar-powered city,” said DJ Pandian, principal secretary, energy and petrochemicals, Gujarat government.