Bihar Pins Hopes On Lakhisarai Solar Project To Increase RE Capacity

Bihar Pins Hopes On Lakhisarai Solar Project To Increase RE Capacity

Bihar, struggling to increase its renewable capacity due to several challenges, has now pinned its hope on the proposed Lakhisarai solar project. The 185 MW solar power project at Kajra in the Lakhisarai district of Bihar will increase the state’s renewable capacity by around 44 percent.  

As per the latest data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Bihar has a total renewable capacity of 420.26 MW. It is less than many other eastern states like Odisha and West Bengal. The Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency (BREDA) has been blaming the lack of large land parcels for ground-mounted solar projects for boosting its energy mix with renewable power. Due to geographical barriers, wind energy is also a non-starter in the state. 

Last year, Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited also floated tenders seeking developers who could survey, design, supply, and install the project. The Bihar government also sought the assistance of the Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI), based in Gujarat, to plan the project and develop the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and Technical Feasibility Report. 

Bihar’s total installed capacity (source-wise). Source: CEA (Data upto Dec 2023).

As per the details, the state government wants to add 185 MW of solar power to this grid-connected solar project. It has also mandated the developers to ensure 45.4 MW for four hours (min 254 MWH) battery energy storage systems. The government has asked the developers to to0 take care of the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the same for the next ten years. 

“The Contractor will confirm the Net Electrical Energy Generation Guarantee (NEEGG – 3870.31 MU in 10 years), which includes Guaranteed Energy Evacuation from SPV Plant (3227.18 MU) and BESS (643.13 MU) separately,” the project details said. 

Beyond Lakhisarai solar project 

The state government, troubled by renewable energy challenges, is also working on other alternatives to boost the growth of renewable energy. It has already operationalized one floating solar park at Darbhanga (2MW) by involving Avaada Energy. It is also working on another floating solar plant at Supaul.

In addition to solar, the state has also planned to boost the production of biofuels. Last year, it released its Bihar Biofuel Production Promotion Policy 2023 to bolster the growth of Compressed Biogas (CBG) in the state. It has also worked to use its sugar mills and standalone distilleries to boost bioethanol production. 

Bio-ethanol has now got an assured offtake arrangement with the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), which procure ethanol to be blended with petrol under the National Blending Of Petrol program. Unlike the sugarcane-rich states of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, Bihar is trying to use maize more efficiently rather than relying mostly on sugarcane to produce ethanol. 

According to State Energy Department officials, the state plans to increase its total capacity to 1 GW in the coming days. Around 200 MW of solar power will likely come from rooftop solar projects under the Jal Jeevan Hariyali Mission, where all government buildings are planned to be solarised. The state also plans to increase its solar power from ground-mounted solar projects to up to 450 MW.