Astonfield’s solar power plant in Bengal to start generation by year-end

Sandip Das
Posted: Saturday, Mar 07, 2009 at 2245 hrs IST
Updated: Saturday, Mar 07, 2009 at 2245 hrs IST

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New Delhi: The country’s move towards usage of renewable energy resources to meet the rising demand seems to be finally taking off. US-based Astonfield Renewable Resources Limited (ARRL) is set to generate electricity from solar energy plants in West Bengal and Rajasthan in the next one year.

The solar power plants, first in the country, with the capacity of 5 mega watt (mw) will start its operation at Bankura district, West Bengal, by December 2009. “In Bankura, the construction of plant is in full swing and we expect to commission the plant by the third quarter of next fiscal,” said ARRL co-chairman Sourabh Sen.

It is for the first time, such greenfield projects with more than a mega watt solar power capacity will be set up in the country. The company is making an investment of $20 million for the Bankura plant.

“The West Bengal electricity board has been approved, the power purchasing agreement for Bankura solar photo voltaic (PV) plant,” said Sen. The West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency has approved three projects comprising 10-mw biomass based power plant, 5-mw solar PV plant and 1 mega watt manure based power plant to Astonfield. The company also recently signed MoU with the Rajasthan government for setting up 5-mw solar PV project.

Besides, the company is also setting up 10-mw biomass plant in Gangarampur (West Bengal ) with an investment of $15 million. ARRL is also in final stages of discussions for a 54-mw municipal solid waste-to-energy project based in Dhapa, a 186-hectare waste site in Kolkata.

Once these solar plants are commissioned, it would go a long way in meeting the government’s plan to generate 50 mega watt capacity for solar power generation by end of 11 th Five Year Plan (2007-2012).

Astonfield has also signed MoUs with six state governments—West Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bihar , Haryana and Karnataka for setting up of solar energy plants. Sen said ARRL will invest more than $2 billion in the country over the next three years focusing on areas like solar, biomass, waste-to-energy and biogas.

Recently at the Vibrant Gujarat Investors Summit, ARRL signed MOU with the Gujarat government for executing the 200-mw solar PV project spreading across the state. At present, the cost of installation of a solar power plant ranges from $ 5-4.5 million (around Rs 100 crore) per mw. While a conventional thermal plant needs an investment of $1 million (around Rs...

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