SunEdison commissions 5MW plant in Rajasthan

RAJASTHAN: SunEdison, a leading worldwide solar energy services provider, announced the commissioning of a 5MW plant in Phalodi, Jodhpur district, Rajasthan.

The plant was inaugurated by Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Honourable Minister for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister of the state of Rajasthan, in a ceremony marked by inspiring speeches by the eminent ministers, and Pashupathy Gopalan, Managing Director, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Operations, SunEdison.

The plant, set up under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), is spread over a sprawling 44 acres and uses thin-film PV technology. Still under ownership of SunEdison, the project was completed in just 2.5 months, a testament to SunEdison's track record of on-time project completions across the globe.

Connected to the national grid on the 31st of December 2011, the plant is expected to generate 8,000,000 KWh of electricity in its first full year of operation and offset carbon emissions of up to 3,000 metric tonnes every year.

Situated in Rajasthan, the plant will supply power to NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN), the nodal agency for augmenting purchase and sale of power generated from solar energy under the JNNSM mission. To contribute to the development of renewable energy in the country, SunEdison also put in place a 33 KV transmission line from the project site to the Bap substation.

Pashupathy Gopalan said: "Commissioning the plant in under three months is a significant milestone for SunEdison. Throughout India, we have consistently demonstrated our strong engineering and construction capabilities, and working with organizations and leadership like JNNSM, allows us to promote a sustainable energy future. We are eager to continue to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship, social responsibility and clean energy generation in India and around the world."