The State government will focus on green energy in a big and proposes to increase Gujarat's capacity for renewable energy to 45,000 MW in the next 10 years.
"We have decided to establish new energy parks at different places," said state Energy minister Saurabh Patel on Thursday, "Gujarat's total power generation capacity will reach 15,000 MW in the next three years, with an average annual growth of 5,000 MW. Besides this, Solar-Wind Hybrid parks, with a capacity to generate 30,000 MW are aimed at being raised in 10 years."
The State will lease waste land to developers, at token rates, for these hybrid energy parks. "Annual rentals will remain Rs 15,000 per hectare and developers will have to raise 100 per cent of the proposed capacity in 10 years through solar and wind energy," Patel added.
The government will float tenders in a couple of days for 1000 MW solar power plant at CRZ in Dholera SIR. The goal is to generate 5,000 MW in the region. Additionally, an offshore wind energy power plant – with a capacity of 1,000 MW – will be installed near Port Pipavav, which will be the first in the country. The Gujarat government will purchase power from here.
The state may also invite the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to allot space for such parks through tenders for states that do not have facilities for renewable energy. On its part, the Centre has agreed to incur expenses for transmission of clean energy to the transmission network.
Besides this, permission will also be granted to private parties and individuals who have open land, to generate clean energy. Those with the capacity to generate 0.5 to 4 MW solar energy can directly sign a 25-year power purchase agreement with the state, without participating in the tender process. The government estimates 2000 MW of power can be generated through this move.
"Currently, Gujarat has an installed capacity of 7,645 MW of renewable energy, that meets only 28 per cent of the total capacity," says Patel. "We will take it up to 22,922 MW by 2022, making up 53 per cent. Simultaneously, we want to decrease dependence on conventional sources of energy such as coal and petroleum."
