Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the Foundation Stone of NHPC’s 300 MW Karnisar-Bhatiyan, Bikaner Solar Power Plant with investment of over ₹ 1732 Crore
Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India laying the foundation stone of the 300 MW Solar Power Plant Karnisar - Bhatiyan, District- Bikaner, Rajasthan through video conferencing mode on 16th February, 2024.
In a major thrust towards achieving the ambitious Renewable Energy capacity addition target of Government of India and advancing towards achieving the net zero vision, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the 300 MW Solar Power Plant located at Village: Karnisar-Bhatiyan, Tehsil Poogal, District- Bikaner, Rajasthan through video conferencing mode on 16th February, 2024. The project is being set up by NHPC Limited under Government of India’s CPSU Scheme, Phase-II, Tranche-III with total investment of over Rs. 1732 Crore.
Equipped with cutting-edge technology, including high-efficiency bifacial modules manufactured in India, the solar project aligns with the Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative led by Prime Minister Modi. The electricity generated will be transmitted through Bikaner-II ISTS Substation. The project aims to produce around 750 million units of green power annually considering a Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) of 28.50% thereby offsetting carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 18,000 million Metric tons over its lifetime.
Power Usage Agreement for the project has been inked with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) at a competitive tariff of Rs. 2.45/unit for 25 years considering Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of ₹ 134.70 Cr offered by the MNRE, Govt. of India. The project is scheduled for commissioning by September 2024 with the potential to create employment opportunities for approximately 600 individuals indirectly during the project phase and 100 personnel during the Operations & Maintenance phase. Furthermore, State Government of Rajasthan will also get a contribution towards Rajasthan Renewable Energy Development Fund as per the provisions of Solar Policy of State for development of large power system infrastructure for grid management, other supporting infrastructure and facilitation works for the stakeholders.
The function was also graced by Shri Bhajan Lal Sharma, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shri R.K. Singh, Hon’ble Union Cabinet Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Union Minister of Law & Justice and Member of Parliament from Bikaner. Smt. Diya Kumari, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister, Rajasthan, Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, Minister of State for Power and Heavy Industries, and Shri Prem Chand Bairwa, Deputy Chief Minister, Rajasthan also attended the ceremony. NHPC Limited is India’s leading hydropower company. NHPC has a total installed capacity of 7097.2 MW of Renewable Energy (including wind and solar) through its 25 power stations, including 1520 MW through subsidiaries. At present, NHPC (including subsidiaries/Joint Venture companies) is engaged in construction of 15 projects with an aggregate installed capacity of 10449 MW.
