Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday laid the foundation stone of the world’s largest renewable energy park in Gujarat’s Kutch.
Spread over 72,600 hectares of waste land, the 30,000 megawatt capacity hybrid renewable energy park will be built along the Indo-Pak border at Khavda using both wind and solar energy.
The energy project is expected to play a significant role in achieving India’s vision of generating 450 gw (4,50,000 mw) of power by 2030.
PM Modi on the occasion said “This park will be bigger than India’s biggest metro cities. It will produce power using the energy of the Sun and the wind. “
The mega hybrid renewable energy project will help in better utilization of a vast patch of desert and also in securing the land border.
The hybrid renewable energy park is divided into two zones. The first zone is a hybrid park on 49,600 hectares of land, which means it will use sunlight and wind to generate electricity. The second zone will spread over 23,000 hectares of land and will be wind power based only.
Why Kutch chosen for renewable energy project?
The reason behind cherry-picking Kutch for the mega renewable energy project is that about one lakh hectares of land has fallen at Khawda. Out of which, the Ministry of Defence has given permission to build a solar park on 72,600 hectares of land. In addition, building a solar park near the border will act as a boundary with the neighboring country.
Other largest renewable energy parks in India
- Bhadla Solar Park– The park is spread over 5,783 hectares of land. Bhadla village is located at a distance of about 220 km from Jodhpur.
- Pavagadh Solar Park– The 2,050 megawatt plant has been set up on 13,000 acres of land .
- Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park– The plant spreads over 2,400 hectares of land which is located at Panam Mandal in Andhra Pradesh.
- NP Kunta Ultra Power Plant- A total of 3,207 hectares of land has been allotted for this project