$800 Million Transmission Line for Rajasthan to Supply Solar Energy to State and National Grids

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide US$500 million of the funding for an $800  million renewable energy transmission system in north west India.

With the sun-drenched state of Rajasthan playing a pivotal role in the country's ambition of generating 20 GW of solar  power by 2022, plans are in place for 1,850 km of transmission lines in the west  of the state to supply solar energy to state and national grids.

The government of Rajasthan and India's transmission utilities are expected  to supply the remaining $300 million for the scheme which will upgrade capacity  at seven sub stations as well as providing three new 400 kV stations and nine  new 220 kV facilities.

The initial $150 million of ADB funds will be supplemented 'later in 2014' by  a further $220 million and a final $128 million in 2015, according to a  statement published by the bank on its website on Friday.

The article states the ADB funding will come from the bank's clean technology  fund and will include $2 million for technical assistance and infrastructure  planning for the new state-funded PV and solar thermal park at Bhadla as well as transmission system studies and a  community development plan to step up solar electricity and clean water  equipment for small communities.

Work has started on the initial 75 MW of PV power at the Bhadla park being  developed by the state's Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corp in the west of the  region, with 20 MW set to be added annually from next year onwards.

Rajasthan supplied 80% of the first phase of India's national Jawaharlal  Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) and is targeting 8 GW of solar and wind generation by  2018, mostly from the private sector.

source wireworld