PM Modi inaugurated the 750 MW Reva solar power pro
750 MW Rewa solar power project was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on Friday. Interestingly, it was wrongly touted as Asia’s Largest Solar Power Project – though there are other bigger projects already present…
On Friday, July 10, 2020 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the 750 MW Rewa solar power plant in Madhya Pradesh to the country. The inauguration of the Reva solar power plant took place through video conferencing.
While inaugurating the project, PM Modi said, “Today, Rewa has really created history…..With this solar power project, the people of Madhya Pradesh and the industries set up here will not only get electricity, but even the metro rail in Delhi will get benefits from it. Apart from Rewa, similar work is underway at Shajapur, Neemuch, and Chhatarpur.”
Details: 750 MW Rewa Solar Power Project
The solar power plant was built by the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL), a joint venture of Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited and SECI. In July 2015 the RUMSL was set up with Manu Srivastava, Principal Secretary, New & Renewable Energy of the Madhya Pradesh Government, as its Chairperson.
The plant comprises of three solar-electric power generation of 250 MW each. These units are commissioned on a 500-hectare plot each within a 1500-hectare solar park. The three companies that have acquired the contract to build the three generating units are Mahindra Renewables, Arinsun Clean Energy, and ACME Jaipur Solar Power. The greater part of the equipment for the plants was sourced from China.
Project Investment
This is the first solar project in India to receive funds from both the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and the World Bank. As the funds under CTF have been made available at a low rate of 0.25% for 40 years, thus enabling a very low solar park charges for the project. This has been one of the contributing factors towards the project’s low tariffs achievement.
In the project, an investment close to INR 2800 (~USD 440 million) has been made by International Finance Corporation, a World Bank group company. In addition, the central government has also extended the financial assistance of INR 138 crore for the project.
Evacuation Infrastructure
To facilitate the evacuation of power from the project site to consumers, the 220/400 KV inter-state transmission network has been developed by the Power Grid Corporation of India under the green energy corridor.
Rewa is India’s first project to fuel an open-access user, namely Delhi Metro. It is also the first project in India to use solar energy for railway traction.
The Hype: “Asia’s Largest”
The 750 MW Rewa Solar project has been flaunted by some of the media houses as the “Asia’s Largest Solar Power Project”. Though, there are other bigger projects that are up and running in Asia than the Rewa project.
Interestingly, some bigger projects are present in India like the Bhadla Solar Park (2,250 MW) located in Rajasthan; Shakti Sthala (2,050 MW) solar project in Karnataka and the 1,000MW Ultra Mega Solar Park in Andhra Pradesh.
Rewa solar power project may be categorized in the top 10 biggest solar projects in Asia.
