Prime Minister Narendra Modi has resonated that solar energy would power aspiring India in the 21st century and the country was progressing as the “most attractive market for clean energy” because of the “exemplary progress” made in this arena.
Pledging the 750 MW Rewa project in Madhya Pradesh to the nation, Modi labeled solar energy as “sure, pure and secure”. He said such large-scale solar projects were an exemplification of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
The Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Project is one of the largest single-site solar power plants in India and globally.
The project involves three solar generating units of 250 MW each positioned on a 500-hectare plot of land inside a solar park with a total area of 1500 hectares.
The project, supported by a joint venture between the state government and SECI, the central agency implementing the national solar mission, is being termed as the first solar plant to supply power to an institutional customer — Delhi Metro Rail Corporation — outside the state. Central financial support of Rs.138 crore has been provided to RUMSL for the development of the park.
Mahindra Renewables Private Ltd, ACME Jaipur Solar Power Private Ltd, and Arinsun Clean Energy Private Ltd were nominated by RUMSL through a reverse auction for developing the three solar generating units.
PM Modi believed India’s solar policy and approach replicated the government’s thinking of “keeping our environment, air, water pure”.
He further that all government programmes gave importance to environmental protection and ease of living.
“India has resolved the economy versus ecology quandary by concentrating on solar energy and other environment-friendly measures. Economy and ecology are not contradictory but corresponding to each other,” he said.
He said Madhya Pradesh would soon become India’s leading center of solar energy with similar large projects in progress in Neemuch, Shajapur, Chattarpur, and Omkareshwar. The state’s poor, middle-class, tribals and farmers would be the biggest beneficiaries, he added.
He also expressed confidence that the state’s farmers would also make use of the government’s ‘KUSUM’ programme and will install solar energy plants in their land for a surplus source of income.
