600 MW solar park in Gujarat’s Patan district inaugurated
19 Apr 2012
Asia's first as also the largest solar power park was inaugurated today in Gujarat's Patan district.
The 600 MW solar power park covers approximately 3,000 acres of wasteland bordering the Rann of Kutch, and will generate two-thirds of India's total 900 MW of solar power production.
"Gujarat dedicates 600 MW of solar power to the nation today (Thursday). We are celebrating the launch of Agni V and dedication of 600 MW solar power park in Gujarat," Gujarat chief minister narendra Modi said on micro blogging site twitter.
According to the Gujarat government, the solar project would reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the tune of 8 million tonnes and save 900,000 tonnes of natural gas annually.
Under its Solar Power Policy, the state government had signed MOUs for solar power generation of 968.5 MW by the end of this year. Other projects that would be taken up would be set up at Anand, Banaskantha, Jamnangar, Junagadh, Kutch, Porbandar, Rajkot, Surat and Surendranagar.
The Gujarat Solar Park is an innovative concept of the state government for the promotion of solar installations in which it allocated developed land to the project developers along with the entire infrastructure, including power evacuation, roads and water for commissioning of the power project.