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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park
Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park in Andhra Pradesh is a solar park spread over a total area of 24 square kilometres (9.3 sq mi) in Panyam mandal of Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, with a capacity of 1000 MW. It was inaugurated by then chief minister of Andhra Pradesh Nara Chandrababu Naidu in 2019 The park was built at an investment of around ₹70 billion (US$840 million) by solar power developers and the Central and State governments. Solar power developers invested ₹10 billion (US$120 million), while the remaining ₹60 billion (US$720 million) was funded by APSPCL supported by a ₹2 billion (US$24 million) grant from the Union Government.

Description

The Kurnool Solar Park is spread over a total area of 24 km (9.3 sq mi) in the Gani and Sakunala villages of Kurnool district. The region is arid. The park utilizes over 4 million solar panels with capacities of 315 and 320 watts. The panels are connected to four 220/33 kV pooling stations of 250 MW each and a 400/220 kV grid substation through nearly 2,000 circuit kilometres (1,200 mi) of cables. During a sunny day, the Kurnool Solar Park is able to generate more than 8 GW⋅h of electricity, which is sufficient to meet virtually the entire electricity demand in Kurnool district.

Auction and commissioning

NTPC Limited invited bids from solar power developers for the first phase of the park on 29 April 2015, and the second phase on 21 May 2015. In total, NTPC auctioned 1,000 MW of capacity through a reverse auction. The contracts were awarded to solar power developers in mid-December 2015. 500 MW was awarded to SunEdison (as a part of bankruptcy acquired by Greenko) and 350 MW to Softbank Energy (both at rate ₹4.63/kW), 100 MW to Azure Power and 50 MW to Adani Power (at rates of ₹5.12/kW⋅h and ₹5.13/kW⋅h respectively).

350 MW capacity was commissioned on 29 March 2017 by Softbank Energy. Azure Power had begun construction of 100 MW capacity at the park in December 2016, and commissioned the plant by 13 June 2017. The commissioning of 100 MW by Azure Power takes the generating capacity of the park to 950 MW, which made it the largest solar park in the world, at the time.

The solar park was damaged by a gale and thunderstorm in Kurnool district on 7 May 2017. Strong winds uprooted some solar panels installed by Softbank and Greenko, and also damaged staff quarters and workers facilities. The damage to the solar park caused by the extreme weather was estimated at ₹20 million (US$240,000).

The remaining 50 MW capacity had been awarded to Prayatna Developers, a subsidiary of Adani Power. The company commissioned 30 MW of capacity at the park on 28 June and the remaining 20 MW in July 2017.

Over 2,500 skilled and unskilled workers were employed to construct the Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park.

See also

References

  1. ^ "India Solar Resource - Global Horizontal Irradiance - Annual Average, by NREL, National Renewable Energy Laboratory". Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Chandrababu Naidu to inaugurate Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park today". 8 January 2019.
  3. ^ Raghavendra, V. (29 April 2017). "With Kurnool solar park, State takes a giant leap". The Hindu. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  4. ^ "LAND DETAILS". Andhra Pradesh Solar Power Corporation Private Limited. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Status". Andhra Pradesh Solar Power Corporation Private Limited. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  6. ^ "Azure Power starts constructing 100MW solar project in Andhra Pradesh". PV-Tech. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  7. ^ "SB Energy wins NTPC bid for solar project in Andhra Pradesh - The Economic Times". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  8. ^ "AP makes rapid strides: 1 GW ultra mega solar park nearing completion in Kurnool". Financial Express. 24 December 2015. Archived from the original on 2 May 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  9. ^ "Softbank Joint Venture SB Energy Commissions 350 Megawatt Solar Project In India". 21 April 2017. Archived from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  10. ^ "SB Energy commissions 350 MW solar project in Andhra Pradesh". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 11 April 2017. Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  11. ^ "Azure Power begins work on 100 MW NTPC solar project in AP". The Hindu Business Line. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  12. ^ "Azure Power commissions 100 MW NTPC project in AP". Hindu BusinessLine. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  13. ^ "Azure Power Commissions 100 MW NTPC Solar Project in Andhra Pradesh". www.businesswire.com. 13 June 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  14. ^ "Azure Power Commissions 100 MW NTPC Solar Project in Andhra Pradesh". Azure Power. Archived from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  15. ^ "Kurnool: Gales damage world's largest solar park". Deccan Chronicle. 10 May 2017. Archived from the original on 13 May 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  16. ^ "Breaking: Entire 1 GW Kurnool Solar Park to be Grid-Synchronized Tomorrow - Mercom India". Mercom India. 12 July 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  17. ^ "The World's Largest Solar Park - Kurnool, India". NRDC. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
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