Modi, Macron Inaugurate Solar Power Plant in UP

The solar plant was built at a cost of around Rs 500 crore by French firm ENGIE.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron has jointly inaugurated the Uttar Pradesh’s (UP’s) biggest solar power plant, which was built at a cost of around Rs 500 crore by French firm ENGIE.

The 75 MW solar plant is located at Chhanvey block of Dadar Kalan village on the hilly terrain of the Vindhyas range at Mirzapur, UP.

In the presence of French President’s wife Brigitte, UP Governor Ram Naik, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other dignetaries, PM Modi and the French President Macron has pressed the button to energise the solar panels and dedicated the 75 MW facility to the people.

Some 1,18,600 solar panels have been set up in over 380 acres. Power would be transmitted to Jigna sub-station of Mirzapur range of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd, officials said.

The plant will generate 15.6 crore units of electricity annually, about 1.30 crore units per month. Addressing the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in New Delhi on Sunday, Modi had called for concessional financing and less-risky funds for solar projects to raise the share of solar power in the energy basket, provide cheaper electricity and cut carbon emissions.

Modi, the chief architect of ISA that seeks to bring together 121 nations, said India will generate 175 gigawatts (GW) of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2022. This will be more than double the present renewable energy capacity and be enough to overtake renewable expansion in the European Union for the first time.

India needs some $83 billion between FY2018 and FY2022 to meet its 175 GW target, according to industry estimates. At present, the country’s renewable energy installed capacity is 63 GW. Solar and wind power tariffs have dropped to an all-time low of Rs2.44 per unit and Rs3.46 per unit, among the lowest in the world.

Source: PTI