State waits for Prime Minister’s Office response

Amaravati: The state government has been eagerly waiting for the response of Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) over its request on inauguration of the world’s largest Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park. The state government sent a letter to PMO a month ago urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Andhra Pradesh to inaugurate the solar park.

A senior official of the Chief Minister’s office (CMO) said they had not received any reply from the Centre in this regard so far and, due to which, the inauguration has been put on hold for a month. According to officials, the energy department and the CMO have written separate letters to the PMO. “The matter is being pursued continuously at higher level. The date has to be confirmed by the Prime Minister’s office,” the senior official said.  

The 1,000 MW (1 gigawatt) world’s largest single location solar park in Kurnool district was successfully set up by AP Solar Power Corporation through a joint venture special purpose vehicle, in which Solar Energy Corporation has 50 per cent stake, APGenco 41 per cent and New and Renewable Energy Corporation (NREC) has 9 per cent stake. 

The solar park has become a centre of attraction for global renewable energy companies. Several global environmental advocacy groups and representatives of energy companies from abroad visited the ultra mega solar park to study it.

The NREC sanctioned the park under state specific bundling scheme wherein thermal power from old thermal stations of NTPC is bundled with solar power in the ratio of 2:1 to reduce the effective tariff of solar power.

Multinational companies M/s SunEdison, USA, and M/s Soft Bank Energy, Japan, won the bids for 850 mw at a rate of Rs.4.63 per kWh in international competitive bidding and established 500 mw and 350 mw units respectively. The remaining 150 mw unit was set up by Azure Power (100 mw) and Prayatna Developers (50 mw).

After bundling of thermal power from old thermal stations of NTPC with solar power in the ratio of 2:1, the weighted average tariff to DISCOMs will be Rs. 3.71 per kWh. AP Solar Power Corporation managing director G Adisheshu told The Hans India that all the activities starting from issue of tender notice to commissioning of solar park was completed within a record period of 24 months.

Total land of 5,683.22 acres was acquired in a record period of nine months without disturbing a single dwelling house for the solar park. Nearly Rs. 7,000 crore investment was made for setting up this solar park and around 2,100 MU (million units) of solar power is generated every year. “By replacing conventional thermal energy, emission of greenhouse gases to an extent of 19 lakh tonnes of CO2 will be avoided every year,” Adisheshu said.