Gujarat will soon have the largest solar park at a single location in India as the state government has approved the establishment of a 5,000 MW in Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) in the state.

The park is expected is to cover an area of more than 27,000 acres upon completion. According to a Gujarat state government release, “The proposed solar park will attract investment of ₹250 billion (~$3.84 billion) and provide employment opportunities to more than 20,000 individuals.”

The solar park will also open more opportunities for the full supply chain of manufacturing units in Dholera International City and the surrounding areas.

The Govt Of Gujarat is happy to approve the establishment of India’s largest Solar Park in Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR).The 5000MW Solar Park would be a giant leap towards fulfilling the ambitious goal of PM Sh @narendramodi to create 175GW of Renewable Energy by 2022

— Vijay Rupani (Modi Ka Parivar) (@vijayrupanibjp) April 10, 2018

The state of Gujarat has installed approximately 1.4 GW of solar as of January 2018, according to Mercom India Project tracker. The state also has a project pipeline of approximately 1 GW. Solar installations in 2017 totaled just 282 MW in the state and its solar RPO is set at 4.25 percent for 2018-19.

When contacted, an official at Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) commented on the development as saying, “Yes, SECI is onboard for this project. This is part of the larger DSIR project which will have industrial as well as residential pockets. As of now, the finer details are being taken care of, soon infrastructure development will begin, then tendering will follow.”

An official at Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) told Mercom, “Today the 5 GW Solar Park project has been approved. Yes, GEDA is at the forefront of this project. As we speak, the final details are being worked out.”

When asked whether there will be issues pertaining to land availability for such a mega project, the GEDA official said, “No, land won’t be an issue. The state government has in its possession the required land area. We do not need to negotiate with any other party about land. There’s ample of it.”

The GEDA official also added, “DSIR will have a huge demand of electricity, by developing this solar park we will ascertain continuous supply, less transmission losses and extra power generated can be traded elsewhere.”

When contacted, a GUVNL official commented, “It’s a great move, this will help us fulfill our future renewable purchase obligations (RPO). Gujarat will once again be at the forefront of India’s solar revolution.”

Recently, Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) tendered 500 MW of grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) projects to be developed across the state. GUVNL announced the tender in order to fulfill its Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) and to meet the future requirements of distribution companies (DISCOMs) in the state.

Image credit: Solarpack