PM Modi inaugurates 750 MW Rewa solar project

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 750 MW solar project developed at Madhya Pradesh's Rewa through video-conferencing. The project comprised three solar generating units of 250 MW each located on a 500-hectare field located inside a solar park.

Here are the key points:

• History is created by Rewa by setting up Asia's largest solar power project.
• With the developed solar plant at Rewa, the industries will not only be provided with electricity, but even Delhi Metro will be entitled for benefits. Apart from Rewa, work is underway on various solar power plants situated at Shajapur, Neemuch and Chhatarpur.
• Not just for the present, solar energy will be the basic medium of energy needs of the 21st century because solar power is sure, pure and secure.
• With efforts and contributions provided by the solar energy sector, India is seen as being the most attractive market for clean energy.
• The idea behind 'One World, One Sun, One Grid' is to fulfil the energy needs for many smaller nations on the planet.
• During the launch, chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan called the Prime Minister 'man of ideas' for his inputs in the Rewa solar project.
• The project is aimed at reducing carbon emission equivalent to approximately 15 lakh tonnes of CO2 per year, according to a PMO statement.
• It is the first renewable energy project in the nation to provide supply to institutional customers outside to others state, including Delhi Metro, which will get 24 per cent of energy from this project. The remaining 76 per cent is being supplied to the state distribution companies under the state of Madhya Pradesh.
• It also provides India's earlier commitment of attaining the target of gigawatt (GW) of installed renewable energy capacity by the year 2022 as decided, including 100 GW of solar installed capacity.
• It is apparently the first solar project in the nation to break the "grid parity barrier".
• As compared to other solar project tariffs of approximately Rs 4.50 per unit in early 2017, the Rewa project achieved the first-year tariff of Rs 2.97 per unit with a tariff escalation of Rs 0.05 per unit over last 15 years and a levelised rate of Rs 3.30 per unit over the term of 25 years.
• The solar park was maintained by the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Ltd, a joint venture of Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd and Solar Energy Corporation of India, a central entity.
• Financial assistance of Rs 138 crore has been provided to RUMSL for development of the park by Central Government.