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Local and pricing challenges hinder India’s solar power expansion
5/7/2023
6 min read
The 2,425 GW Bhadla solar park in Rajasthan is, for the moment, the largest in the world – but the development of solar energy in India has been far from straightforward, writes Raghavendra Verma from Rajasthan. There have been problems around power lines and the export selling price.
The major Bhadla solar park in India’s desert state of Rajasthan has been leading the country’s transition towards renewable energy for its fast-growing economy and 1.4 billion people. However, the momentum in its roll-out has been hindered by difficulties encountered in laying transmission lines.
Located on a sunny, hot and barren 57 km2 site between Jaisalmer and Bikaner, just under 40 km from the heavily defended border with Pakistan, millions of solar panels have been installed at Bhadla, designed to generate 2,245 MW power. The project was completed between 2018 and 2020, with solar cells sited within expansive stretches of thorny grass in this remote region at a cost of $1.3bn, funded by private investments arranged by power producing companies.
The first two of the park’s four phases were developed by state-owned Rajasthan Solarpark Development Company, which was joined by other energy companies for the latter phases. Phase one comprised 75 MW capacity, phase two 680 MW, and phases three and four are 1,500 MW combined.