BIZ-GUJ-RENEWABLE

The Gujarat government is

eyeing cumulative investment of Rs 2,20,000 crore

during the next 10 years in the renewable energy sector, said

state Energy Minister Saurabh Patel here Thursday.

While an investment of Rs 1,00,000 crore is

expected in the next three years in solar and wind power

generation projects, another Rs 1,20,000 crore would be

invested by private players in 'hybrid parks', wherein both

wind and solar projects can come up at the same location,

said Patel.

Under their three-year plan for the renewable

energy sector, the state government intends to generate 10,000

mega watt(mw) through solar energy and 5,000 mw through wind

energy, Patel told reporters.

Some of the major projects envisaged for the next

three years include a 5,000 mw solar park at Dholera and 1,000

mw wind energy project near Pipavav port, where windmills

will be installed in the sea near the port.

"We have planned to attract an investment of Rs

1,00,000 crore in the next three years in these projects.

At present, renewable energy production in Gujarat

stands at 7,645 mw, that is 28 per cent of total power

production of the state," said Patel.

"By 2022, we intend to produce 22,922 mw of

electricity through solar and wind, which will be around 54

per cent of total power production of the state.

In the long run, our push will be on renewable energy

rather than conventional electricity generation," the senior

minister said.

To attract new players in this sector, Patel said

the wastelands located near 66kv substations all over Gujarat

will also be alloted for solar power generation.

"We have already identified 50 such sub-stations,

around which, land is available.

As per estimates, 3,000 mw of electricity can be

generated through solar parks built on those tracts of land,"

said Patel.

Under the recently launched 'wind-solar hybrid

power policy - 2018', aiming to make optimum utilisation of

the land and grid, the Gujarat government aims to generate

30,000 mw of electricity with an investment of Rs 1,20,000

crore in the next 10 years, Patel said.

Under the policy, a developer of a solar project

can use the same land for setting up wind power projects and

vice-versa.

"We will give land to developer on 40-year lease. Our

aim is to generate 30,000 mw of power in the next 10 years.

This will attract an investment of Rs 1,20,000 crore.

The government will only provide land on rent. All the

investment will be done by private players," he said.