The 125-mw Shivajinagar Sakri
solar power plant—dubbed to
be amongst the largest solar
projects in the world—is facing
prospects of relocation. Landownership
impediments are coercing
the project to move out of the Dhule
district where it was originally
planned. Maharashtra State Power
Generation Company Ltd
(Mahagenco), the project promoter,
has reportedly planned to relocate the
project to Chandrapur district in
eastern Maharashtra.
The state forest department has
staked claim on roughly half of the 350
ha (865 acres) of land in Dhule district
on which the project was supposed to
come up. The forest department move
is oddly enough coming at a time when
all clearances were in place and project
construction had begun.
The `1,987-crore project would
comprise of dual technology, with 75
mw power to be generated using
crystalline technology based
photovoltaic cells, while 50 mw
power from thin film solar cells. Lanco
Solar of the Lanco Group had been
awarded the `884 crore contract for
crystalline technology.
The project is being implemented by
Maharashtra State Power Generation
Company (MahaGenco). It received all
major clearances and was announced
with great pomp by the Chief Minister
Prithviraj Chavan in May. German
development bank KfW has already
given a €250-million reduced-interest
loan for the project.
Background: The Shivajinagar
Sakri solar farm project was
announced in May this year, and was
seen as Maharashtra's biggest move in
the renewable energy field. In August
this year, German lending institution
KfW pledged its support supporting
to the project with a $356 million loan
with reduced interest. Mahagenco
would contribute the remaining $170
million. The project has a provision of
expanding capacity to 150 mw for
which KfW would be providing
additional funding.
"By financing this strategic
investment in renewable energies KfW
Development Bank is making a
significant contribution to combating
climate change and implementing the
energy turnaround in India," a KfW
statement noted whilst announcing its
assistance to the project.