Solar Energy Corp to set up 4 Parks totalling 600 Mw in UP

The land at the fouThe ministry has drawn a scheme to set up solar parks across various states with financial support by the central governmentr places has also been identified, which put together spans over 1,200 hectares

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is setting up four solar parks in Uttar Pradesh, totalling 600 Mw, predominantly in the arid Bundelkhand region. The solar parks have been proposed at Jalaun (350 Mw), Allahabad (50 Mw), Mirzapur (100 Mw) and Sonbhadra (100 Mw) districts of the state. The land at the four places has also been identified, which put together a span of over 1,200 hectares.

About 715 hectares of land has been identified in Jalaun district, where the biggest unit would be set up in association with UP New and Renewable Energy Development Agency, which is the state’s  nodal agency. UP is targeting grid solar power generation of 500 Mw by 2017. The state government has already announced solar power and rooftop solar power policies to augment solar energy generation and reduce load on conventional energy resources. Set up in September 2011, SECI comes under administrative control of the Union ministry of new and renewable energy. It is mandated with developing solar technologies and ensuring inclusive solar power development throughout India.

The ministry has drawn a scheme to set up solar parks across various states with financial support by the central government. The scheme aims at creation of infrastructure necessary for setting up new solar power projects in terms of allocation of land, transmission and evacuation lines, access roads, availability of water and others, in a focused manner.

Meanwhile, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said his government was giving full cooperation to the central agencies in the solar power sector. He stressed India should toe the line of Germany in maximising solar energy generation.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Renewable Energy Global Investors Meet and Expo (RE-INVEST) here, which was organised jointly by Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) and UPNEDA.

He further assured entrepreneurs there was no paucity of land for such projects and the farmers were willingly offering their land. The government has effected a single window system to clear solar power projects.