Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a massive 750 megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Madhya Pradesh.
He highlighted that this is testament to India’s self-reliant approach.
Union Power Minister RK Singh said that Chinese firms have been dumping cheap solar equipment into India at a meeting on 4 July, 2020. On the same day, the centre announced India would no longer import power equipment from China and Pakistan amid tension along the Line of Actual Control.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has a vast urban train network that highly depends on reliable electricity.
It will be the project’s first customer in Rewa of north-east Madhya Pradesh.
An amount of ₹4,500 crore was invested to build it.
Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel from Lucknow and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Bhopal were virtually present at the launch of the solar-project.
The project has three solar power generating units of 250 MW each on 500 hectare, taking the total output to 750 MW on 1,500 hectare.
Madhya Pradesh will get 76% electricity from the Rewa solar plant and 24% to Delhi Metro.
“We must work towards reducing our import dependency on solar panels and related equipment. We need to speed up our production capacity of solar modules… and solar batteries should be made in India. We need to speed up all work in these areas,” PM Modi said at the virtual launch of the project.
UN chief Antonio Guterres praised India as a “good example” of pursuing clean energy.