A 1190-Megawatt solar park will be established at Bikaner’s Pugal by Coal India Limited on the 4846-hectare land allotted to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (RVUNL), and this will be the state’s third largest solar park. This solar park, worth around 5400 crores, will begin the production of electricity within the next two years. The electricity produced here will be cheaper than 3 Rs/unit; currently, on an average, from the thermal power plant, a rate of 4 Rs/unit is being paid. A total of 240 crore units of electricity will be produced here.
An MoU was signed between the CMD of Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam, RK Sharma, and the Director (Technical) of Coal India Limited, V Reddy, in the presence of Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Union Minister of Coal and Mines, Prahalad Joshi. In lieu of the maintenance and operation of the park, Coal India will pay RVUNL 2 crores annually.
During the signing of the MoU, Ashok Gehlot said that the Centre had imposed a restriction on the import of coal, which should be looked into. Replying to which, Prahalad Joshi said that the restriction has been uplifted. Following which Gehlot added that half the problem was solved even before he spoke of it, and this was the co-operation of the Centre and the state.
