UN chief Ban Ki Moon inaugurates Gujarat’s second canal-top 10-MW solar power project
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon inaugurated Gujarat’s second canal-top 10-MW solar power project.
It is located on 5.5 km stretch of Vadodara branch of Sardar Sarovar project canal. It is implemented by Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL)
Key facts of Gujarat’s Canal-top solar power project
- It is considered as first-of-its-kind project in the world to generate power.
- This project is brain child of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier in April 2012, one-MW pilot project was commissioned on the Sanand canal when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat.
- The project comprises around 33,000 to 36,000 solar panels and financed by the State government.
- Platform for these panels has been designed in such a manner it can sustain a wind velocity of 150 km/hr.
- Power generated from it is fed into the State grid and also to operate pumping stations on the canal.
- Advantages: It saves land and also prevents evaporation losses from the canal. It generates clean source of energy without any kind of pollution.
Month: Current Affairs - January, 2015