Rajasthan plans to set up 30,000 MW solar capacity in 5 years

Jaipur: Rajasthan plans to set up 30,000 MW of solar power plants in next five years and is in talks with leading private and state-run companies to develop energy parks, the state’s energy minister BD Kalla told ET.This will add to an already installed capacity of around 50,000 MW in the state, he said.“We have come up with a new solar policy in which we are giving a host of incentives, including relaxations in stamp duty, electricity duty and transmission and wheeling charges. We are also allowing banking of energy for captive consumption and third-party sale on yearly basis,” Kalla said.Recently, the Centre allocated Rajasthan a 25,000 MW ultra mega renewable energy park. The state government has identified land bank of 125,000 hectares in three districts — Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur—for this park.“This park would solely be developed by central public sector units engaged in solar power generation,” said Ajitabh Sharma, principal secretary at Rajasthan’s energy department and chairman of Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation, the state’s nodal agency for renewables.“However, we want to promote both private and public sector equally in Rajasthan, which is also one of the objectives of solar policy. Let us first evaluate the proposition of the ultra mega energy park,” Sharma said.He said of the 30,000 MW—the target Rajasthan has set for next five years—the state is looking to install solar plants of 10,000 MW in next three years in the first phase. “We are in talks with many PSUs including NHPC, NTPC, PFC, Tehri Hydro Power and Sutlej Jal Vidyut among few others. While NTPC is looking for 5,000 MW, others are aiming at 1,000 MW each,” he said.

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