Bhopal, June 29 -- Madhya Pradesh on Monday took a major step towards expanding its renewable energy footprint with the inauguration of two large solar parks with a combined capacity of 950 MW.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the 500 MW Neemuch Solar Park and the 450 MW Shajapur Solar Park in Neemuch district. The projects have been developed at a total cost of about Rs 2,080 crore.
Addressing the gathering, Yadav said Madhya Pradesh was rapidly emerging as a leading destination for clean, affordable and sustainable energy. He said the state had already installed more than 12,018 MW of renewable energy capacity, accounting for nearly 30 per cent of its total power generation capacity.
The CM said Neemuch was evolving into a major green energy hub, with 675 MW of solar projects already operational and nearly 1,952 MW under construction. He also highlighted the ongoing development of the Gandhi Sagar Pumped Storage Project, which is expected to be among the largest such facilities in the country.
Yadav said power from the newly commissioned Neemuch Solar Park would be available at a tariff of Rs 2.14 per unit, which he described as among the lowest solar power rates in the country.
Union Minister Joshi said MP was emerging as a renewable energy powerhouse and praised the state's progress in green energy generation. He noted that India's solar power capacity had increased from 2.6 GW in 2014 to 157 GW, and called upon the state to further expand its wind energy capacity.
He also highlighted the 440 MW solar-plus-storage project in Morena and the Gandhi Sagar Pumped Storage Project as significant innovations in the clean energy sector.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.