"NLC India Lands 810 MW Solar Power Project in Rajasthan"

In a significant development, the state-run Neyveli Lignite Corporation India (NLCIL) has successfully secured a substantial 810-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Rajasthan's Bikaner district. This project was awarded by the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Nigam Limited (RRVUNL).

NLCIL's victory in securing the entire 810 MW project capacity came as a result of a tender floated by RRVUNL, which is part of a larger initiative to develop a massive 2,000 MW ultra mega solar park in Pugal tehsil, Bikaner district, Rajasthan. The Letter of Intent for this venture has been officially issued by RRVUNL. Additionally, the land for the project and the power evacuation system, connected to the State Transmission Utility (STU), will be provided by the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited (RVUNL). This arrangement is expected to expedite the project's completion.

This project marks a significant milestone for NLCIL, based in Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, as it stands as the company's largest renewable energy undertaking to date. With this new addition, the total power capacity of projects in Rajasthan will increase to 1.36 gigawatts (GW), with 1.1 GW dedicated to green energy sources. This scale promises economies of scale and optimized fixed costs for NLCIL.

The project's location in Rajasthan offers ample sunlight, resulting in a high Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF), which, in turn, is expected to generate over 50 billion units of green power and offset more than 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions throughout the project's lifespan.

Currently, NLCIL is actively involved in various renewable energy projects, including a 50 MW solar project on mined-out land, a 200 MW solar project under the Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) scheme across India, a 300 MW solar project under the CPSU scheme in Bikaner district's Barsingsar, and a 600 MW solar project at the Khavda Solar project in Gujarat's Bhuj district.

Speaking on the company's growing renewable energy ventures, NLCIL's Chairman and Managing Director, Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, expressed that the company is pioneering the way for Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) by already installing 1 GW of renewable energy capacity. Currently, the company is actively developing an additional 2 GW of renewable energy capacity across India, with plans to reach an impressive 6 GW by the year 2030. This ambitious expansion demonstrates NLCIL's commitment to sustainable energy and its role in the nation's renewable energy growth.

HBL