Tata Power Solar has successfully commissioned a 10 MW solar PV plant in Karnataka, India just four months after initially breaking ground on the project.
The plant comprises 48,000 crystalline modules and is spread over a 52-acre site on non-agricultural land in the Karnataka state of India. It has an estimated annual output of 18 million kWH, and is owned by Jindal Aluminium Ltd (JAL), a Chitradurga-based company that specializes in the manufacture of aluminium products.
JAL first turned to renewable energy last year when it commissioned a 12.04 MW wind farm. This solar plant is the companys inaugural foray into the PV market and marks a strong signal of intent for the state – which is currently beset by a huge power deficit – to turn towards renewable power.
"Jindal Aluminium strongly believes in the role of renewable energy to solve the energy deficit in Karnataka and hence adopted solar as one of the solutions," said JAL company secretary, Ajay Aggarwal. "We are glad to partner with Tata Power Solar for setting up this grid-connected solar power plant. The project was not only completed within a scheduled time frame but was also professionally executed with high quality.
"With the high energy performance ratio achieved in its initial phase of operation, our association with Tata would only grow stronger in our future projects."
Karnatakas energy deficit currently stands at 17.8%, according to Indias Central Electricity Authority (CEA). The state has been set a target by energy regulators to source 0.25% of its power requirements from solar energy for next year. Although a modest target, it is indicative of the growing appetite for solar power in the state, and India as a whole.
Tata Power Solars CEO, Ajay Goel, said: "Our work with JAL on this 10 MW plant showcases our teams deep capability and expertise in building large-scale solar projects.
"We built this plant within four months at record pace, and since commissioning it has produced 7% more energy than committed in the first three months. As a Bangalore-based company, we are proud that this plant not only bridges Karnatakas energy deficit, but also brings employment opportunities to local communities in our state."
JAL has entered into a 25-year PPA with the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company to provide power at Rs 8.25 per unit flat rate for the entirety of the 25-year agreement.
Tata Power Solar now has more than 70 MW of connected PV in India to date, and recently won a contract to build a 50 MW solar power plant project in Rajgarh, and an additional 28 MW PV project in the state of Maharashtra.
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