Wednesday, September 24, 2014: The solar energy sector in India will undergo an upgrade soon as bids will be invited for solar parks’ development in the days ahead. Along with the Central government sitting in New Delhi, five state governments will also take up the project of 25 solar parks seriously now. These parks are expected to increase the total installed solar capacity by 10 times in the country, as told by joint secretary with India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Tarun Kapoor, to The Wall Street Journal.
By next year, around 10 parks might be set up with additional supports like transmission lines. Rest of the parks will be completed in next four to five years, as per Kapoor. India is rich in solar energy and after Narendra Modi’s selection as Prime Minister of India, solar power initiatives have received a huge boost. But the major challenge faced is land acquisition. But most of the lands, which have been marked for solar development, are owned by state governments and state agencies.
Solar parks are ready to be developed in states like Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat and Karnataka. The first projects will start from Andhra Pradesh only. The largest power company in India, NTPC Ltd, will send invites for global bids to set up the solar parks, within a month. The Indian government will meet global investors in February to attract international and private Indian entities for further investments in the renewable energy sector, said Kapoor.
