Three Solar Parks Planned for Odisha: RK Singh, MNRE Minister

Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, R.K Singh has announced that the Central Government has approved three solar power parks for the state of Odisha under the Solar Park Scheme. The cumulative capacity of all the three parks will be 340MW.

In a written reply to a question asked in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said that one of the solar parks will be developed in Landeihill village of Ganjam district. Two solar parks will be floating ones. A floating solar power project of 200MW has been planned in the Rengali district. The reply did not give details of the other floating park of 100MW.

For the upcoming solar park in Landeihill village, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has already acquired 176 acres of land. The EPC contractor for its development has also been finalized. In August 2020, NTPC had invited tenders for undertaking works that relates with designing, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, quality assistance, testing, insurance, supply, installation and final commissioning of the solar park.

RK Singh also said that the Centre has also given a go ahead to a 10MW solar power project meant to solarize the Konark Temple – a world heritage site – and the town in Kalahandi district. Odisha wants to make Konark Temple and town India’s first zero-emission city by the end of 2022.

Eastern states, especially Odisha, Bengal, Assam and Bihar have been taken up by specific PSU energy firms to push renewable energy there. This has been necessitated due to lack of private sector interest in these regions. Thus, even as SJVN has taken up projects in Bihar, in Odisha, it is NHPC.

Key Projects in Odisha

In January, NHPC created a joint venture with Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha Ltd (GEDCOL) for setting up a 500-megawatt (MW) floating solar power project in Odisha.

In the same month, Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Ltd (IPICOL) and Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) signed a MoU for cooperation in the areas of green hydrogen, green ammonia and renewable energy (solar / wind) for the production of eco-friendly fuels in Odisha.

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) will also install a 40-megawatt (MW) floating solar power plant at Hirakud Dam Reservoir in Sambalpur district.

The state government of Odisha has come up with Odisha Renewable Energy Policy under which a wide range of incentives are being offered for establishing renewable energy production units.