Largest Solar Power Project in the World to be set up in Rajasthan  1st Phase to be Completed in 3 Years – Praful Patel

The Government has finalized the setting up of a ‘Ultra- Mega Green Solar Power Project’ in Rajasthan in the SSL (Sambhar Salts Limited; which is a subsidiary of Hindustan Salts Limited – a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Department of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises) area close to Sambhar Lake, about 75 kms from Jaipur. The total capacity of this project will be 4000 MW and, therefore, this will be the largest solar based power project in the world.  Shri Praful Patel, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, had earlier asked the Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) to initiate the process of setting up the ‘Sambhar Ultra -Mega Green Solar Power Project’ in the 23,000 acre area of SSL as he had envisioned synergizing the capacities of the CPSEs under DHI to utilize the large area of SSL for producing green energy. Shri Patel says the first phase of the project, which will be of 1000 MW capacity, is likely to be commissioned in three years i.e. by the end of 2016. The first phase of the project is expected to be implemented through a joint venture (JV) company to be formed with equity from BHEL, Solar Energy Corporation of India, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd., SJVN, SSL and REIL. Based on the experience gained during implementation of the first phase of project, the remaining capacity would be implemented through a variety of models.  When the 4000 MW of project is fully commissioned, it will generate 6000 million units of power per annum. The project will supply power to the distribution companies of various States through the National Grid.  Being the first project of this scale anywhere in the world this project is expected to set a trend for large scale solar power development in the world.