Bhadla Solar Park

Last updated

Bhadla Solar Park
2020-05-20, Sentinel-2A L1C, True color (1).jpg
Bhadla Solar Park
Country India
LocationBhadla, Phalodi district, Rajasthan
Coordinates 27°32′23″N71°54′55″E / 27.5396685°N 71.9152528°E / 27.5396685; 71.9152528
StatusOperational
Commission date 20 March 2020;4 years ago (2020-03-20)
Construction cost(US$2.175 billion)
Solar farm
Type Flat-panel PV
Site area5,700 ha (14,000 acres)
Power generation
Nameplate capacity 2,245 MW [1] [2] [3]
External links
Website https://ntpcrel.co.in/
Commons Related media on Commons

The Bhadla Solar Park is a solar power plant located in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India. It covers an area of 56 square kilometers and has a total installed capacity of 2,245 megawatts (MW), making it the largest solar park in the world as of 2023. [4] [5] The park was developed in four phases since 2015, with $775 million in funding from the Climate Investment Fund and $1.4 billion in funding from other sources. [6] The park contributes to India's renewable energy goals and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 4 million tons per year. [7]

Contents

Development

The Bhadla Solar Park was initiated by the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited (RRECL), a joint venture between the Government of Rajasthan and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The RRECL identified Bhadla, a remote area in the Phalodi tehsil of Phalodi district, as a suitable site for solar power generation due to its high solar irradiance, low population density, and availability of government-owned land. [8]

In Phase I in 2017, NTPC Limited auctioned 420 MW to several developers including Fortum of Finland. In Phase II, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) auctioned 250 MW which includes the under construction AMP Energy Bhadla Solar Power Plant and NTPC Bhadla Solar Power Plant. In Phase III on May 11, 2017, ACME Power won 200 MW and Softbank Group (SBG) won 300 MW. In Phase IV on May 9, 2017, Phelan Energy Group won 50 MW, Avaada Energy won 100 MW and SBG Cleantech consortium won 100 MW. SECI tendered bids for the remaining 750 MW in June 2017. [9] After its completion in December 2018, the solar park achieved a total installed capacity of 2,055 MW, making it the largest solar park in the world as of 2023.

Development of Bhadla Solar Park documented on satellite Sentinel-2 imagery PV power plant cluster near Bhadla (India).png
Development of Bhadla Solar Park documented on satellite Sentinel-2 imagery

Impact

The Bhadla Solar Park is one of the projects of India's National Solar Mission, which aims to install 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar power by 2022. The park also helps India meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement to reduce its carbon intensity by 33-35% by 2030. [10]

According to a study by the World Bank, the park has multiple benefits for the local economy and environment. The park has created about 10,000 direct and indirect jobs during construction and operation. [11] The park has also improved the quality and reliability of electricity supply in the region. [12] The park has also reduced the dependence on fossil fuels and avoided about 4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. [13]

Challenges

The Bhadla Solar Park has faced some challenges due to its location and scale. One of the main challenges has been dust accumulation on the solar panels, which reduces their efficiency and output. The park is also located in an arid region that experiences frequent dust storms and sandstorms. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

India is the third largest producer of electricity in the world. During the fiscal year (FY) 2022–23, the total electricity generation in the country was 1,844 TWh, of which 1,618 TWh was generated by utilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar power in India</span>

India's solar power installed capacity was 73.32 GWAC as of 31 December 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable energy in India</span>

India is the world's 4th largest consumer of electricity and the world's 3rd largest renewable energy producer with 40% of energy capacity installed in the year 2022 coming from renewable sources. Ernst & Young's (EY) 2021 Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) ranked India 3rd behind USA and China. In FY2023-24, India is planning to issue 50 GW tenders for wind, solar and hybrid projects. India has committed for a goal of 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030. In line with this commitment, India's installed renewable energy capacity has been experiencing a steady upward trend. From 94.4 GW in 2021, the capacity has gone up to 119.1 GW in 2023 as of Q4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singrauli Super Thermal Power Station</span>

Singrauli Super Thermal Power Plant is located at Shaktinagar in Sonebhadra district in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The power plant is the first power plant of NTPC. It sources coal from Jayant and Bina mines and water from Rihand Reservoir. The states benefitting from this power plant are Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territories of Delhi, Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir. An investment worth 11,907 million (US$150 million) has already been cleared. It even gets international assistance from IDA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NTPC Limited</span> National Thermal Power Corporation, Central Public Sector Undertaking coal mining

NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation, is an Indian central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the ownership of the Ministry of Power and the Government of India, who is engaged in the generation of electricity and other activities. The headquarters of the PSU are situated at New Delhi. NTPC's core function is the generation and distribution of electricity to State Electricity Boards in India. The body also undertakes consultancy and turnkey project contracts that involve engineering, project management, construction management, and operation and management of power plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photovoltaic power station</span> Large-scale photovoltaic system

A photovoltaic power station, also known as a solar park, solar farm, or solar power plant, is a large-scale grid-connected photovoltaic power system designed for the supply of merchant power. They are different from most building-mounted and other decentralized solar power because they supply power at the utility level, rather than to a local user or users. Utility-scale solar is sometimes used to describe this type of project.

The Dhirubhai Ambani Solar Park at Dhursar village near Pokhran in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan is a 40 megawatt (MWAC) photovoltaic power station, set up in 129 days and commissioned in 2012. It is one of a large number of solar parks expected to be built in a 35,000 km2 area of the Thar Desert that has been reserved for solar power projects. The solar park was named after the late Dhirubhai Ambani, the founder of Reliance Industries, and was constructed using 500,000 Cadmium telluride photovoltaics (CdTe) modules by First Solar, and covers an area of 350 acres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar power in Morocco</span>

Solar power in Morocco is enabled by the country having one of the highest rates of solar insolation among other countries— about 3,000 hours per year of sunshine but up to 3,600 hours in the desert. Morocco has launched one of the world’s largest solar energy projects costing an estimated $9 billion. The aim of the project was to create 2,000 megawatts of solar generation capacity by 2020. The Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN), a public-private venture, was established to lead the project. The first plant, Ouarzazate Solar Power Station, was commissioned in 2016.

ReNew Energy Global is a decarbonisation solutions company based in India. It is the first Indian renewable energy company to be listed on NASDAQ. ReNew operates more than 140 projects spread across nine states in India. The company provides decarbonisation solutions through a mix of green hydrogen, data-driven solutions, storage, manufacturing, and carbon markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vikram Solar</span> Indian solar energy company

Vikram Solar Limited is an Indian company based in Kolkata. It is one of the largest solar module manufacturers in India, with 3.5 GW module manufacturing capacity annually and the second-largest solar energy company in India by revenue. The company's primary business focus is manufacturing solar PV modules, and also carrying out engineering, procurement, and construction services and operations, and maintenance of solar power plants.

Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects, also known as Ultra Mega Solar Parks, are a series of solar power projects planned by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of the Union Government of India. Each power project has a minimum capacity of 500 MW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pavagada Solar Park</span> Solar park in Karnataka, India. Largest solar park in the world by nameplate capacity.

Pavagada Solar Park is a solar park covering an area of 53 square kilometres in Pavagada taluk, Tumkur district, Karnataka. Completed in 2019, the park has a capacity of 2,050 MW. As of April 2021, it is the world's third largest photovoltaic solar park after the 2,245 MW Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan and 2,200 MW Huanghe Hydropower Hainan Solar Park in China. It is the second largest in India.The total project cost was ₹14,800 crore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park</span> 3rd Largest Solar Park in India

Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park in Andhra Pradesh is a solar park spread over a total area of 24 square kilometres (9.3 sq mi) in Panyam mandal of Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, with a capacity of 1000 MW. It was inaugurated by then chief minister of Andhra Pradesh Nara Chandrababu Naidu in 2019 The park was built at an investment of around 70 billion (US$880 million) by solar power developers and the Central and State governments. Solar power developers invested 10 billion (US$130 million), while the remaining 60 billion (US$750 million) was funded by APSPCL supported by a 2 billion (US$25 million) grant from the Union Government.

Kadapa Ultra Mega Solar Park is a solar park spread over a total area of 5,927.76 acres (23.9888 km2) in the Mylavaram mandal of Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adani Green Energy</span> Indian renewable energy company

Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) is an Indian renewable energy company, headquartered in Ahmedabad, India. It is owned by Indian conglomerate Adani Group. The company operates Kamuthi Solar Power Project, one of the largest solar photovoltaic plants in the world.

NTPC Fatehgarh Solar Power Plant is photovoltaic power station in Jaisalmer, India.

AMP Energy Bhadla Solar Power Plant is a photovoltaic power station in Bhadla, Jodhpur district, India.

NTPC Bhadla Solar Power Plant is a photovoltaic power station in Bhadla, Jodhpur district, India.

References

  1. "With 2'245 MW of Commissioned Solar Projects, World's Largest Solar Park is Now at Bhadl" . Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  2. "Solar power park of 620 MW capacity get operational at Bhadla park". Energyworld, The Economic Times. 2 October 2018. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  3. "ACME commissions 2000 MW solar power plant at Bhadla". 22 September 2018. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  4. "All You Need To Know About Bhadla Solar Power Plant". Solar Square Blog. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  5. Sinha, Kaustav (29 December 2020). "Bhadla Solar Park: World's Largest Solar Power Plant". Eco Igloo. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  6. O'Malley, James. "India is harnessing renewable energy through the world's biggest solar farm. Here's how it happened". Business Insider. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  7. "Soaking Up Sun in the Thar Desert". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 19 February 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  8. "All You Need To Know About Bhadla Solar Power Plant". Solar Square Blog. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  9. Team (19 March 2020). "Bhadla World's Largest Solar Park". RajRAS | RAS Exam Preparation. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  10. Baker, Jill. "Why India Thinks A Trillion-Dollar Price Tag Is Worth Staying In The Paris Climate Accord". Forbes. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  11. "India's solar-powered future clashes with local life". BBC News. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  12. "India's solar-powered future clashes with local life". BBC News. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  13. "India's solar-powered future clashes with local life". BBC News. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  14. "Soaking Up Sun in the Thar Desert". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 19 February 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2023.