India's first satellite-controlled solar plant opened in Punjab

India's first satellite-controlled solar power plant has come up in Lalpur village in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district.

Built at a cost of Rs.35 crore, the project will produce 4.2 MW of electricity.

The plant uses the 'Single Axis Tracking East West Tilt Technology', which follows the path of the sun during the day to generate eight percent more units of electricity compared to solar power plants having traditional fixed type structures, Punjab's New and Renewable Energy Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said after inaugurating the plant, 160 km from Chandigarh.

The plant has been set up by Aditya Medisales, which is part of the Sun Pharma Group.

Inviting the company to invest more in renewable energy production in Punjab, Majithia said the state was offered assured 25 years power purchase agreement (PPA) for projects generating clean energy.

"Punjab has fixed target of generating more than 4200 MW solar power by 2022," he said.

He said many companies have already invested more than Rs.1,300 crore in solar power projects in Punjab, while an investment of around Rs.1,700 crore was in the pipeline.

Majithia said India's largest rooftop plant of 7.5 MW at the Radha Soami sect headquarters at Beas (Amritsar) would be expanded to 31.5 MW which would make it the world's largest rooftop plant.