Govt okays doubling solar power capacity

Girja Shankar Kaura

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 22

The government today approved enhancing the capacity of solar parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects (UMSPP) to 40,000 MW by 2020.

The approval came at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Fifty solar parks would be set up to meet the new target. Earlier, the target was to set up 33 solar parks with a total capacity of 20,000 MW.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a subsidiary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), would execute the projects in collaboration with respective state governments. Identifying land and selecting solar park developer would be the responsibility of the respective state government. “The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the enhancement of capacity from 20,000 MW to 40,000 MW of the Scheme for Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects,” an official statement said.

Briefing media after the CCEA meeting, Minister of State for Coal, Mines, Power and New & Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal said the Centre would provide a grant of Rs 25 lakh for preparing a detailed project report.

“We will also provide central financial assistance of up to Rs 20 lakh per MW or 30 per cent of the project cost, including grid connectivity cost, whichever is lower,” said Goyal. The SECI would release the grant as per the milestones achieved.