Union minister Farooq Abdullah inaugurates Asia's largest solar plant in Rajasthan

CHENNAI: Solar power developer Welspun Energy Limited has officially commissioned its 55 MW utility-scale solar power project in Rajasthan. The Union minister of new and renewable energy (MNRE), Farooq Abdullah inaugurated the plant on Wednesday.

The plant, part of the first phase of the country's national solar mission, is the largest solar photovoltaic power plant in India, and Asia's largest single-location solar plant.

Welspun Energy's solar project will be generating 90 million kilowatt hour of electricity a year, enough to power 250,000 homes, a statement from the company said.

"The ministry of new and renewable energy has aggressive growth plans to generate and illuminate every household in India through clean energy. Welspun Energy's 55 MW project is a testament of the fact that we are certainly moving in the right direction. The project has provided the locals with sustainable employment opportunities and has engaged with the neighborhood by bringing social emancipation through its various social initiatives. The industry acknowledges the company's contribution to the nation through its technological innovation and best practices that led to the timely completion of this landmark project," Abdullah said in the statement.

Welspun Energy, part of the $ 3.5 billion Welspun group, aims to commission 1.75 GW of solar and wind power projects in the next three years. The company currently has 111 MW of solar projects under operation and has over 200 MW of solar and wind projects under construction.