As private sector power companies in India continue their struggle to implement new thermal power projects, some are now looking to take advantage of the government’s thrust towards solar power projects.
RattanIndia Power is reportedly planning to use 324 hectares of land in the northern state of Punhjab originally earmarked for a coal-based power plant to set up a 200 MW solar power plant.
The company has dropped plans for the coal-based power plant after it failed to receive assurance of domestic coal supply. The issue of consistent fuel supply has dogged Indian thermal power plants for years and importing coal from other countries has not solved the problem either.
According to media reports, RattanIndia Power is now planning to get the required clearances from the state government to set up the solar power project on the land initially earmarked for a thermal power plant. Officials of the company, however, did not explicitly state how the company will go about setting up the solar power project – either through a direct agreement with the state government or by participating in solar power auctions.
RattanIndia Power, formerly Indiabulls Power, has participated in several recent solar power auctions and secured large amounts of utility-scale project capacity. The company won 58 MW solar power capacity through auctions held under the Punjab state solar power policy. A subsidiary of the company, Yarrow Infrastructure, also participated in a recent auction that set a new record-low tariff for solar PV projects in India. Yarrow Infrastructure quoted a price of Rs 4.36/kWh (US¢6.6/kWh), slightly higher than the record-low of Rs 4.34/kWh, to secure 70 MW capacity in the state of Rajasthan.
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