The Indian state-owned company Coal India has signed a memorandum of understanding with Rajasthan Vidyut Utpadan Nigam (RVUNL) worth INR54bn (US$656m) to develop a 1.19 GW solar power project in the state of Rajasthan, northwestern India. This initiative is part of Coal India’s diversification program for clean coal energy.
The plant will be set up in a 2 GW solar park that is being developed by RVUNL in Poogal, near Bikaner. The government of Rajasthan has allotted 4,846 hectares (48 km2) of land to develop the park, in which RVUNL will develop another 810 MW of solar capacity alongside coal India’s 1.19 GW.
In 2021, solar and wind accounted for nearly 20% of installed capacity in India, with respectively 49 GW and 40 GW. The country aims to develop 175 GW of renewable capacity by the end of 2022, including 100 GW of solar.