Gujarat Solar Park bags award

Wärtsilä India conferred the 10th Wärtsilä-Mantosh Sondhi Award on Gujarat Power Corpo­ration (Gujarat Solar Park)
for their significant contribution to the Indian energy sector. DJ Pandian, Principal Secretary, Energy & Petrochemicals, Govt of Gujarat, accepted the award from Björn Rosengren, President and CEO, Wärtsilä Corporation.
 
Gujarat accounts for 66 per cent of IndiaÂ’s total solar power. The Solar Park was launched at Charanka village, Santalpur taluka in Patan district as a part of the Swarnim Gujarat celebrations. The Solar Park with a power generation capacity of 600 MW, covering approximately 3,000 acre of wasteland bordering the Rann of Kutch, will generate two-thirds of IndiaÂ’s total 900 MW of solar power production. The Solar Park will produce 214 MW of photovoltaic solar capacity, making it larger than Golmud Solar Park in China that has a capacity of 200 MW. The new Solar Park is unique in having 21 companies involved in its management and development, including four from the US.

With the inception of the Solar Park, the State Government has been able to train more than 100 people to look after the panels and the parkÂ’s security, bringing employment to a desolate area. In addition to solar energy, the park will also manufacture solar power plant panels and other related equipment. It will also provide training to local people of Gujarat to work at solar parks. According to the Gujarat Government, the solar project will lead to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions to the tune of eight million tonne.