PM Narendra Modi launches 750 MW solar project at Rewa, Madhya Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Asia’s largest single-site solar power plant project on Friday in the city of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh. 

Known to consist of three solar generating units with a capacity of 250 MW each, the entire solar park is spread on 1,500-hectares of land. Built and developed by the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL), the project will supply energy to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

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RUMSL has chosen ACME Jaipur Solar Power Private Limited, Mahindra Renewables Private Limited, and Arinsun Clean Energy Private Limited, through a reverse auction for laying out the units, and further development. 

The project is expected to reduce carbon emissions equivalent to about 15 lakh tonnes of CO2 every year. 

In fact, it is also the country’s first power plant to break the grid parity barrier. Compared to the tariff of the unit constructed in 2017, which stands at Rs 4.50, the Rewa project achieved the first-year tariff of Rs 2.97 per unit. Additionally, it revealed a tariff escalation of Rs 0.05 per unit over 15 years, and a levelised rate of Rs 3.30 per unit for 25 years.

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Speaking at the launch of the project, PM Modi said that solar energy will be a medium of energy needs of the 21st century as it is sure, pure, and secure. 

In tandem with the country's mounting energy needs, the Government of India has been setting ambitious targets in terms of building the country’s renewable energy capacity.  The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has an objective to set-up 175 gigawatts (GW) of capacity by the year 2022, and 450 GW by 2030. 

The Rewa project is anticipated by many to play a huge role in reaching this goal. It has garnered a lot of appreciation from far and wide. Not only did the plant receive the World Bank Group President’s Award, but it also got a mention in the PM’s “A Book of Innovation: New Beginnings.”