NTPC set to construct India's largest solar power park in Kutch

Ministry okays 4.75-Gw solar power project

Kutch region in Gujarat, the largest salt desert in the country and host to two of India’s largest coal-fired power plants, will now add another feather to its cap.

The country’s largest power generator, NTPC, through its renewable energy arm, will construct what would be India’s largest single local solar power park of 4.75 Gigawatt (Gw) in Kutch. NTPC Renewable Energy (NTPC-REL) has received the approval of the nodal ministry of new and renewable energy, said a company’s statement. 

NTPC-REL plans to use this project for production of green hydrogen, too. Hydrogen produced from renewable sources is called green hydrogen. 

NTPC-REL was given the go-ahead under Mode 8 (Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Park) of Solar Park Scheme, the company said in a release. “As part of its green energy portfolio augmentation, NTPC, India’s largest energy integrated company, aims to build 60 GW Renewable Energy Capacity by 2032,” it said. There are five operational solar power parks in the country, of which Bhadla in Rajasthan (2.2 Gw) and Pavgada in Karnataka (2.05 Gw) are among the world’s largest single location solar plants. India’s first solar power park of 0.75 Gw was fully commissioned in 2019 in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh.  

The current total installed generation capacity of NTPC stands at 66 Gw. Out of this, thermal (coal+gas) is 61 Gw, hydro 3.7 Gw, solar is 1 Gw and the balance is wind.  NTPC incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary for its renewable energy projects in October 2020, which Gurdeep Singh, chairman and managing director of the company, said would be listed soon.

“We should not focus on one way of raising funds. We want to soon go public for raising funds,” he said, adding the company would add 7-8 GW renewable every year. Apart from solar and wind power projects, NTPC is looking to invest in green hydrogen and green methanol – cleaner fuels that are manufactured at units powered by renewable energy.

The ministry announced a solar power park scheme in 2014-15 when it targeted 20 Gw of capacity under solar parks/ultra mega solar power projects by 2020. The target year was increased this year to another five years. 

Five solar parks in India

Under the scheme, the ministry provides Central Financial Assistance to private project developers. 

The solar parks offer suitable developed land with all clearances, transmission system, water access, road connectivity, communication network, etc. The scheme facilitates and speeds up installation of grid connected solar power projects for electricity generation on a large scale. SECI is the designated authority for solar power park development.

NTPC currently puts up renewable generation capacity through two routes — sets up the project itself or awards the capacity to private players. It would develop the Kutch park itself while awarding capacity to different players who would put up generation units. NTPC already has a 0.65 Gw solar power park in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. The capacity was awarded to several leading private project developers and was declared commissioned in 2017.

The Gujarat government has identified the Kutch region for setting up 40 Gw of hybrid renewable energy projects in the region and has earmarked 60,000 hectares for the same. There are, however, environmental concerns for the region, as it is a prime spot of several bird species.

Rajasthan is facing a similar issue with power lines of solar plants allegedly causing the death of Great Indian Bustard. Several ecology experts have said the region is not wasteland, as pointed out by state and Central governments.