Bathinda gets state’s largest solar plant, to generate 33.5 MW

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 8

The state’s largest solar plant (33.5 MW), spread over 140 acres, was inaugurated by Union Minister of Food Processing Harsimrat Badal and Minister for New and Renewable Energy Bikram Majithia at Jaga Ram Tirth village today.

The project has been commissioned by Welspun Renewables, the country’s largest solar energy generator, at a cost of Rs223 crore. The solar power generation in the state has gone up from 9 MW in 2009 to approximately 350 MW with this project. Official figures put the expected power generation through solar panels in 2016 at 500 MW.

Majithia said: “The cost efficiency of producing one unit of solar energy has come down to Rs5 against Rs19 a few years ago. Solar energy is all set to replace all other modes of power production, particularly coal. Going by the high costs involved, we will allow the farmers opting for 500-1000 MW projects to seek as much as 49 per cent share in investment from private companies.”

On the ongoing farm crisis, Harsimrat said: “The Chief Minister has announced a compensation package of Rs643 crore for cotton growers. The CM got it covered under the category of natural calamity by the Centre”.