India's mega power plant a boost to clean energy sources

It has overtaken the Pavagada solar park in Karnataka as the World's largest. The Pavagada Park opened in 2018 and was a major contributor to India's solar power, supplying over 19% of the country's needs at that time.

The park will be so big that it will be visible from space and will cover an area five times the size of Paris. This achievement, led by Adani Green Energy Limited, is a significant step towards India's goal of using cleaner energy sources.

This power plant is enormous; it will be able to supply 30,000 megawatts of power. A megawatt is a giant unit, containing somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 units. To put that in perspective, an average Indian household uses only a few units, like 5 or 6, each day. 30000 megawatts of power is enough to energize millions of homes.

In just one year, Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL), India's leading renewable energy company, completed the massive solar power project. They built a 551 megawatt (MW) solar plant in Khavda, Gujarat, which is now supplying clean energy to the national grid.

This involved more than just installing solar panels. AGEL had to first develop the entire area, including building roads and creating a support system for the 8,000 workers needed for the project. They even transformed the challenging desert of the Rann of Kutch to create a habitable environment for their workforce.

The project spans a vast area, roughly the size of Singapore (726 square kilometers or 280 square miles). It is expected to generate a significant amount of clean energy, supplying 30 gigawatts annually upon completion. That's enough to power roughly 18 million homes in India.

This aligns with India's ambitious goal of reaching 500 gigawatts of clean energy capacity by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2070. The project is therefore likely to play a major role in India's transition to renewable energy sources. The Indian government anticipated the project to cost at least $2.26 billion.

The development came in the wake of the critical discussions on renewable energy at the recent COP28 climate summit. World leaders are considering setting an ambitious goal to triple the global reliance on renewable energy sources while phasing out the use of coal, oil, and natural gas – major contributors to climate change.

India's electricity generation relies heavily on fossil fuels, with coal being the main source. Coal fired power plants produce over 70% of the country's electricity. Renewable energy sources, like solar and wind power, are still under development and contribute only about 10% to the energy mix. This dependence on fossil fuels makes India the world's third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, following China and the United States.

India has ambitious plans to become a leader in solar energy. In 2014, the central government launched a scheme to create large solar parks across the country. This plan was expanded in 2017 to reach a target capacity of 40,000 MW. Gujarat is a frontrunner in this initiative. The Gujarat government also lifted restrictions on solar power generation to meet its own target of 30,000 MW by 2022.

Gujarat has been a leader in solar energy since 2009, when they put in place a specific policy to support solar power. This policy was driven by a desire to fight climate change and promote sustainable development through clean energy.

Their efforts contribute to the national goals set by the Prime Minister of India to reach 175 GW of solar power by 2022 and 450 GW by 2030. One advantage of solar energy is that it is predictable and generates power during the day, which is exactly when there is a high demand for electricity in the agricultural sector.

A report released in March of 2020 showed that Gujarat was the Indian state that received the most central financial assistance in the year 2019-2020.  In 2021, Gujarat led the nation in installing solar panels, contributing a whopping 68% of all the 79,950 installations in India. In 2021, Gujarat held the fifth position in the country's solar power capacity, next to Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh.

This project is located in the harsh Rann of Kutch desert. The Rann of Kutch is a vast salt desert and marsh in western India, and it's isolated-even the nearest town is 70 kilometers away. It is far from any town and close to the border with Pakistan. This remote location, right next to a tense international border, makes the project unique. 

The area is uninhabited and experiences scorching temperatures, reaching 35 degrees Celsius in the daytime. With no people or obstacles around, relentless sun and uninterrupted winds blow freely across the barren landscape. These conditions make this desert perfectly suited for the government's purposes.

The area has some of the best wind and sunshine in India, making it perfect for building a massive renewable energy project. This project will also help create a reliable and long-lasting supply chain based in India. Before starting construction, Adani Green spent the last five years doing many studies on the land, including soil tests, environmental impact assessments, and feasibility studies.

They also came up with new solutions that can be used for other big renewable energy projects around the world. For instance, they used special underground structures to strengthen the soil. The project will use the biggest onshore wind turbines in India, along with high-tech solar panels that capture sunlight from both sides.

To keep everything running smoothly, they will use an advanced computer system with artificial intelligence to automatically monitor the entire project in real-time.

Ajay Mathur, head of the International Solar Alliance, an organization promoting solar power globally, observed that India has made impressive advances on the renewable energy front. Two decades ago, India was no different from many developing countries in this regard. Mathur believes large-scale projects like the Khavda solar park will serve as an inspiration for other developing nations. Mathur essentially points to India's journey as a blueprint, demonstrating that a country facing similar challenges can successfully transition towards clean energy.

Meanwhile, around 200 kilometers away on the Gujarat coast, the industrial city of Mundra is witnessing a different side of this transformation.

The Adani Group has set up a facility there, one of the few in India, that manufactures parts for solar and wind energy projects from scratch. These factories resemble laboratories due to the strict hygiene protocols in place to prevent dust particles, which can damage solar cells, from affecting production.

Disha Agrawal, an expert at CEEW, a Delhi-based energy think tank, explains that states with vast wastelands like Gujarat and Rajasthan are ideal locations for large solar parks. These parks create jobs, generate power for the state, and even allow excess electricity to be sold for additional revenue.

Another advantage of solar power is its low generation cost. At Rs 3 per unit, it's cheaper than coal-fired power plants (Rs 3.5-4 per unit). While integrating solar power with the existing grid adds some cost, it doesn't outweigh the benefits.

Experts point out that this integration cost is the responsibility of transmission companies, and the low generation cost of solar power makes it a viable option even with this added expense.

The construction of the world's largest renewable energy park has brought significant economic benefits to the region. The park itself has become a bustling hub, now housing around 8,000 workers. This influx of workers has spurred economic activity in the area, marking a major turning point for the region.

The promoters are committed to aligning with India's vision of self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat). They're not just focused on clean energy generation, but also on building strong local supply chains. This means they will increasingly source materials and equipment, like wind turbine generators (WTGs) and trackers, from within India. Their commitment goes beyond clean energy production.

They're using innovative waterless robotic cleaning for solar panels in the dry Kutch region. This helps conserve water, contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 for clean water and sanitation. Additionally, AGEL actively supports the communities around their projects.

They focus on education, healthcare, empowering women, water conservation, and improving infrastructure. These efforts demonstrate a well-rounded approach (ESG) to social and environmental well-being in the region.

The author, Dr. Divya Rani is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science, BHU, Varanasi.