- Once solarized, Modhera will be seen as a pilot demonstration project of a city powered completly by solar energy
- The bidding will be on the combined project cost for implementing these renewable energy installations and maintaining them
The Ministry of New and Renewable energy has announced its plan to completely solarize the the Sun-Temple city of Gujarat. The city of Modhera, after the completion of this project, would draw all its electricity needs from solar energy.
“The objective of this scheme is to take forward Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of solarisation of sun-temple town of Modhera in District — Mehsana, Gujarat, so that the domestic and agricultural electricity needs of all the households of Modhera are fully fulfilled with solar energy, thereby setting up a pilot demonstration project for a village/town running completely on solar energy,” read MNRE’s official statement,
The context of Sun-Temple city, as per MNRE, makes Modhera an ideal location for a pilot demonstration programme for a town running completely through solar energy. The total cost of this project is estimated to be Rs 65 crore.
Essntials of the project
Apart from settig up a six MW ground-mounted solar PV power plant, the project also requires installations of 271 X 1KW rooftop solar PV systems and three 100 kW aggregate capacity of rooftop solar PV systems on government buildings. Battery energy storage system in the capacity of 15 MWh and 6MW are also requirements of the project.
In terms of smart energy components, smart energy meters for individual households and 11 kVfeeders, solar EV charging stations and associated solar plant and battery storage, smart load monitoring and data centre with weather station, microprocessor based relay and equipment monitoring for grid protection, smart street lights near Modhera sun temple, are also listed as key requirements.
Implementation of this project, as MNRE informed, is to be done by the Government of Gujarat. The scheme will be implemented by a scheme implementing agency, to be decided, selected or nominated by Government of Gujarat, who will issue the tenders for setting up of proposed renewable energy installations, monitor the implementation of the projects, ensure compliance with MNRE’s scheme and submit monthly progress reports to MNRE.
“All mandatory approvals! clearances in respect of the proposed renewable energy installations are to be obtained by the Government of Gujarat or Agency(ies) authorised by Government of Gujarat for this purpose,” read MNRE’s statement.
