Wind Energy

First Solar Powers One of India’s Largest Solar Power Plants

First Solar, Inc. of Tempe, Arizona USA, announced the commissioning by Reliance Power Ltd., a Reliance ADA Group company, of a 40 megawatt (MW) (AC) ground-mounted solar photovoltaic power plant in the state of Rajasthan, India. The photovoltaic solar energy plant, which is comprised of 500,000 of First Solar’s CdTe-based thin-film modules, will provide clean energy to Mumbai.The project was reportedly completed in just five months.

According to First Solar, the power plant near the village of Dhursar in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan in northwestern India is expected to generate more than 60 million kilowatt hours (kwh) of clean solar energy a year, making it one of the country’s highest power output potential photovoltaic power plant. The plant covers 350 acres and is said to be 23 times the size of Calcutta’s famous Eden Gardens cricket grounds. First Solar says the plant is expected to satisfy the annual electricity needs of more than 70,000 average Indian households.

"This power plant demonstrates the huge potential of solar energy to help India meet itsgrowing energy needs in the most environmentally friendly manner. It is also a testimony of the quick timeframe in which solar power plants can be built and commissioned," said Anil D Ambani, chairman of Reliance Power.

The Dhursar project is the first of several that Reliance plans to build with First Solar modules as part of a 100 MW module order placed last year.

www.firstsolar.com