India Boasts World's Biggest Renewable Energy Park - Five Times Larger Than Paris

Via Syndicated Feed

Cover Image Attribute: A drone shot of Adani Green's Khavda Renewable Energy Park / Source: X

In the Khavda region of Kutch, Gujarat, near the Pakistan border, the Adani Group, a conglomerate owned by billionaire Gautam Adani, has constructed the world's largest renewable energy park. With an impressive nameplate capacity of 30 gigawatts, the park predominantly harnesses solar energy for electricity generation. Initially, this area lacked even basic infrastructure, with only a portable toilet and a makeshift office in a container. However, it piqued the interest of Gautam Adani, who was then the world's second wealthiest individual, in December 2022. Despite its lack of amenities, such as a pincode and its location amidst extensive barren land, Adani saw its potential and decided to invest in its development.
At first, the land was desolate, with sparse vegetation because of its extremely salty soil and absence of any nearby human habitation. Nevertheless, with the country's second-highest solar radiation levels after Ladakh and wind speeds five times stronger than those on the plains, it emerged as an optimal site for a renewable energy park. Just an 18-kilometer drive from the airstrip brings you to the expansive Khavda renewable energy park, sprawling across 538 square kilometers, roughly five times the size of Paris.

The First Impression

Upon arriving at Khavda, Adani's initial reaction was disbelief—he humorously questioned whether one could even encounter a mosquito in such desolate surroundings. Nevertheless, his group wasted no time in initiating transformative efforts. Solar panels were deployed to harness sunlight for electricity generation, while windmills were erected to capture wind speeds reaching up to 8 meters per second. Moreover, the group undertook the construction of worker settlements and implemented desalination plants to purify saline groundwater extracted from depths of 700 meters, making it potable. They also introduced essential amenities such as mobile phone repair shops, thereby converting the once barren landscape into a bustling center of renewable energy production and sustainable living.
Vneet Jaain, the Managing Director of Adani Green Energy Ltd, India's largest renewable energy company, announced plans to invest approximately Rs 1.5 lakh crore to generate 30 megawatts of clean electricity in Khavda, Gujarat's Kutch region. He stated that they had recently commissioned 2 gigawatts of capacity at Khavda and aimed to add another 4 gigawatts in the current fiscal year, followed by an annual addition of 5 gigawatts thereafter.
The airstrip serves as a means to transport group executives from Mundra or Ahmedabad several times per week. The air traffic controller (ATC) stationed in Bhuj, approximately 160 kilometers away, provides guidance for airplanes heading to Khavda, with its assistance extending only to 'Tent City'. Pilots essentially navigate the final 80-kilometer stretch, including the landing, independently. A pilot operating the Adani Group-owned aircraft explained their reliance on visual aids and airplane navigation systems for landing. For takeoff, they communicate their plans to Bhuj over the phone before departing.

Proximity to Pakistan

The perimeter of the energy park lies merely one kilometer away from the international border with Pakistan, with the buffer zone monitored by the BSF. According to executives, the airstrip was constructed within a remarkably short span of 35 days, in an area where even tractors had to be adapted to navigate the terrain, which struggles to absorb water. The region presents its own array of challenges, including intense dust storms from March to June, a lack of communication and transportation infrastructure, the nearest inhabited area being 80 kilometers away, soil impermeability during the rainy season, high salinity in groundwater, and its designation as a restricted zone.
Executives noted that while some workers are sourced from the nearby Khavda village, accommodations are being developed to accommodate up to 8,000 workers. Adani Group's renewable energy endeavors represent the most ambitious corporate initiative in the country, aiming to generate 500 gigawatts of electricity from non-fossil sources by 2030, as part of a broader objective to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.

Future Prospect

At its peak, Khavda solar park is projected to generate 81 billion units of electricity, a capacity significant enough to power entire nations such as Belgium, Chile, and Switzerland, according to sources. Vneet Jaain stated that the planned 30 gigawatts at Khavda would consist of 26 gigawatts of solar capacity and 4 gigawatts of wind capacity. AGEL's current operational portfolio includes 7,393 megawatts of solar capacity, 1,401 megawatts of wind capacity, and 2,140 megawatts of wind-solar hybrid capacity.
In the Khavda region, where solar irradiation is a remarkable 2,060 kWh/m2 and wind resources rank among India's best, the frequent occurrence of sandstorms necessitates regular cleaning of solar panels, sometimes multiple times a day. To address this challenge, executives have disclosed plans to deploy waterless robotic module cleaning systems throughout the entire project site. It's noteworthy that the Khavda land is owned by the government and has been leased to the Adani Group for a period of 40 years.

The Role of Adani Green Energy

Over the past five years, Adani Green Energy has conducted a thorough range of studies and evaluations before initiating development at the site. These included geotechnical surveys, seismic assessments, resource evaluations, environmental and social impact analyses, and detailed feasibility studies.
Construction commenced in 2022, signaling the beginning of a comprehensive infrastructure development endeavor. This involved the construction of 100 kilometers of roads, 50 kilometers of drainage systems, and the establishment of desalination plants and three reverse osmosis (RO) plants, with a combined capacity of 70 cubic meters per hour to meet the drinking water requirements of project personnel. Additionally, optical fiber cables were installed over 180 kilometers to improve connectivity, and concrete batching plants were established as part of the project's infrastructure.
IndraStra Global Staff has not edited this story, which is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.

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