MNRE plans 23 GW of solar projects in Jammu & Kashmir

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has announced that it has launched a plan for the implementation of 23 GW of ultra-mega solar projects in the Leh and Ladakh regions of Jammu & Kashmir.

Phase-I of the project would involve setting up 2,500 MW Solar PV Capacity in Kargil region and 5,000 MW in Leh district.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) will be the implementing agency of these projects. The grid-connected solar PV projects are intended to be set up in the Pang region in Leh and in the Zangla region in Kargil. The 2,500 MW grid-connected solar PV project is tentatively planned to be in New Wanpoh region and the 5,000 MW grid-connected solar PV project is tentatively planned to be in Hisar.

The scope of work will include setting up of the grid-connected solar PV projects along with implementation of the entire power evacuation infrastructure (substations along with transmission lines), up to the drawl point.

A single tender will be issued for the selection of the project developer, who will be responsible for the setting up of the project along with the power evacuation infrastructure. According to SECI, “The request for selection (RfS) document is likely to be issued by December 15, 2018.

Speaking at the CII’s Government and Business Partnership Conclave in August, the Minister of Power, Mr. R.K. Singh said, “We have 35 GW of installation potential in Ladakh. We will come out with single bid of 25 GW with storage and delivery at Una.”

This will be India’s largest tender so far in terms of the capacity envisaged. In December 2017, SECI had invited Expression of Interest (EoI) from prospective project developers to set up of 10 GW of floating solar PV projects in a phased manner in the next three years. Around the same time, SECI also invited EoI from potential manufacturers to set up an integrated solar manufacturing facility totaling 20 GW in India within a three-year time-frame. Both these mega tenders are yet to reach the auction stage.