Odisha to commission 10-Mw solar power plant

BHEL is engineering, procurement and construction contractor of project

Odisha government is set to commission 10 megawatt (Mw) of solar power plant in February.

"It will be part commissioning of the 20 Mw solar power plant being built by Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha Ltd (Gedcol) at Manamunda industrial estate in Boudh district," said a source.

Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd (BHEL) is the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor of the project. BHEL will also operate and maintain the plant for next ten years.

The project has been allotted to Gedcol, the nodal agency for implementation of renewable energy projects in the state by Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI) under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) phase-II, batch-I scheme, following a VGF (viability gap funding) based bidding process.

As per Gedcol website, the company will receive subsidy up to Rs 2.4 crore per Mw subject to fulfillment of certain conditions.

The project is developed over 150 acres of land at a cost of about Rs 160 crore. An arrangement for evacuation of power through 132/33KV grid sub-station at Sonepur has been finalised.

The Odisha government has set an ambitious target to add 3,000 Mw renewable energy capacity by 2022 in the draft Odisha Renewable Energy Policy. The target includes 2,300 Mw in the solar sector, 350 Mw from wind sources, 150 Mw from the small hydro-electricity projects, 180 Mw from biomass and 20 Mw from municipal solid waste (msw).

The solar sector is divided into four areas such as land based solar projects (500 Mw), projects utilising water bodies (250 Mw), projects on the consumer side of the meter (50 Mw), solar park (1,500 Mw).

It may be noted that Odisha receives an average solar radiation of 5.5k Wh/sqm area with around 300 clear sunny days every year. National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) has estimated solar power potential of the state at 25,780 mwp2.