NTPC REL Gets Busy As MNRE Approves 4750 MW Solar Park in Gujarat

Power Major NTPC’s renewable energy arm, NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (NTPC REL) is filling up its pipeline of projects quickly, as it will now set up India’s single-largest solar photovoltaic project at Rann of Kutch at Khavada in Gujarat, the company said on Tuesday. the announcement comes barely a month after the state owned power major announced a doubling of its renewable energy targets from 30 GW to 60 GW by 2032.

NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd (NTPC REL) has received the renewable energy ministry’s (MNRE) go ahead  to build the project with a capacity of up 4750 MW in Gujarat. The plan is for NTPC REL to produce green hydrogen using the power generated from the park. NTPC has also indicated plans to take its renewable arm public, to ensure ready access to funding for the firm. At 4750 MW, the planned solar park will easily be the largest solar park in the country, and among the largest in the world. Commissioning date for the full capacity should be closer to 2025, considering both the size, as well as the pace of improvements in Hydrogen electrolysing technology. REL has also signed an MOU with the UT of Ladakh yesterday, for hydrogen powered buses and more, to make the UT a carbon emissions free region.

Eventual plans for the region include renewable energy capacity of close to 30 GW by 2030 or earlier.

NTPC will also continue to move away from its thermal heavy portfolio with this plant, following the example of its smaller private sector peer, Tata Power. The NTPC group  currently has 70 power plants with a total installed capacity of 66 GW and an additional 18 GW capacity is under construction.

NTPC has recently commissioned India’s largest floating solar power project of 10 MW on the reservoir at its Simhadri thermal power plant in Andhra Pradesh. An additional 15 MW would be commissioned by August this year.

Another floating solar project of 100 MW capacity on the reservoir of the Ramagundam thermal plant is in an advanced stage of implementation.