SHAKTI STHALA SOLAR PARK LAUNCHED IN KARNATAKA

The Karnataka government inaugurated the first phase of a 2,000 MW solar park in the drought-prone Pavagada region of Tumkur district on March 1, 2018.

The first phase of the `16,500 crore park called ‘Shakti Sthala’ will generate 600 MW, while the balance 1,400 MW is expected to be commissioned by the end of this year, the government said in a statement.

The solar project, touted as the largest in the world, is spread over 13,000 acres and five villages. It is part of the ‘Karnataka Solar Policy 2014–2021’ which aims to decrease dependence on traditional power sources and move to environmentally friendly ones to meet the growing power needs of the state.

The park ties in with the centre’s scheme to generate 100 GW of solar power by 2020. The land for the solar park has been taken on a 25-year lease by the government from around 2,300 farmers, and in return, they are paid an annual rental of `21,000 per acre, with scope for a 5% increase every two years. The move was intended to curb the mass migration of people from the region which has been declared drought-hit in 54 of the last 60 years.

The park’s development was initiated with the creation of the Karnataka Solar Power Development Corp. Ltd (KSPDCL) in March 2015 as a joint venture between Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL) and Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI).

Source: www.livemint.com