How Gujarat Solar Park in Charanka Started India’s Solar Revolution
When Gujarat Solar Park (GSP), also known as the Charanka Solar Park, was launched, it grabbed global attention as “Asia’s largest solar park”. Though it doesn’t hold the title anymore, it paved the way for India to become the home of some of the largest solar parks in Asia and the world. It currently holds the title of “India’s first solar park”. Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn also invested in this solar park.
Located at a strategically important position, it is about 100 km away from the India-Pakistan border.
GSP or Charanka Solar Park is an important chapter in the development of solar power in India. In the words of PM Modi, it is playing a vital role in meeting Gujarat and India’s electricity needs.
Want information about Gujarat Solar Park at a glance? Here are some quick facts about it:
Below you can see an old video on Gujarat Solar Park (Note: some statements related to its capacity may be outdated):
Video Source: ENFRAtv
Background of Developing Gujarat Solar Park in Charanka
Gujarat Power Corporation Limited (GPCL) developed the first solar park in India. Private players bagged contracts for installing solar panels and selling the power.
When then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi initiated construction of the park, it had a planned capacity of 500 MW. However, its capacity could go up to 790 MW (report of DNA India). Notable developers at GSP (Charanka Solar Project) include Alex Astral, Roha Dyechem, GMR Gujarat Solar Power, and Tata Renewable Power.
The total price of Gujarat Solar Park stands at more than Rs. 5,365 crore.
What is the Capacity of the Gujarat-Charanka Solar Park?
We have explained the current and future capacity of Charanka Solar Park below:
Existing Capacity
Gujarat Solar Power Plant has a power production capacity of 730 MW. It also has 2 windmills of 2.1 MW each, thus having a total wind power production capacity of 4.2 MW.
Different solar companies invested in this solar park project. Here is the Gujarat Solar Park company list and their respective solar power production capacity:
Read More
Future Capacity
The following developers are currently constructing solar plants at the Charanaka Solar Project in Gujarat:
Want to know more about important solar parks in India? Take a look at our blogs:
What is the Size of Gujarat Solar Park?
Here’s a breakdown of the Gujarat Solar Park or Charanka Solar Park area:
What is the Location of Gujarat Solar Park?
Gujarat Solar Park is located in Charanka village, Patan district, northern Gujarat. You can check it out on Google Maps:
Below we have listed the reasons why the Gujarat Solar Park address was ideal for building the solar park:
Ample Solar Radiation
Gujarat receives excellent solar radiation of 5.6–6.0 kWh/m2 per day. The availability of barren land in Charanka made it suitable for setting up a solar park.
Meeting the Electricity Demand of Local Industries
Several industrial hubs such as Kandla, Morbi, Ahmedabad, and the under-development Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor are close to Charanka Solar Power Plant. Santalpur Special Investment Region is about 15 km away from the solar park and has important industries such as cotton ginning, pressing and yarn spinning, and agro-product processing.
Gujarat Solar Park was built to supply electricity to these industries, thus meeting the needs of the local businesses and industries.
Proximity to Industries Useful for Building a Solar Park
Gujarat is home to several Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that manufacture products important for a solar park such as mounting structures, cables, and other technical equipment necessary for creating solar systems. Euro Multivision Limited, which manufactures photovoltaic cells, is about 140 km away from Gujarat Solar Power Plant.
If you are interested in starting a solar business, you can read our guide on how to start a solar business.
Logistics and Connectivity
Here’s a breakdown of the connectivity features of Gujarat Solar Park:
Which Infrastructure Facilities are Present at Gujarat Solar Park?
These infrastructure facilities are available at Charanka Solar Park:
- 400/220/66 kV pooling substation
- 45 km long water supply pipeline from Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNL)
- Water distribution network
- Raw water pipeline of 32 km
- Rehabilitation of existing water reservoir
- Water treatment plant
- Water tank (GLSR/OHT)
- Sewage treatment plant
- Roads
- Helipad
- Green belt/buffer
Which Solar Panels are used at Gujarat Solar Park?
The following 2 types of solar panels have been used at the Gujarat Solar Plant:
- Polycrystalline: Photovoltaic cells made of polycrystalline silicon convert sunlight into electricity.
- Thin film: Photovoltaic cells made of amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride or copper indium gallium selenide convert sunlight into electricity.
Want to learn about different types of solar panels you can install in a solar system? You can read our blog.
How is Water Supplied to Gujarat Solar Park?
Which Companies Supplied Equipment to Build the Gujarat Solar Park?
Different national and international companies invested and provided solar equipment in this solar project. The Gujarat – Charanka Solar Park company list is provided below:
Indian Companies
Here are the Indian companies involved in GSP in Charanka:
- Tata Solar India
- HHV Solar Technologies
- Central Electronics Limited
- ICOMM Tele Limited
- Kotak Urja
- BHEL
- XL Energy
- Moser Bear Photovoltaic
- Euro Photovoltaic
To learn about top solar panel companies in India, you can read our blog on the topic.
Foreign Companies
These foreign companies supplied equipment to the Charanka Solar Park:
- Trina Solar (China)
- REC (Norway)
- Canadian Solar (Canada)
- Bosch (Germany)
- Yingli Green Energy (China)
- Suntech (China)
- Mitsubishi Electric (Japan)
- Panasonic (Japan)
What PM Modi Had Said about the Gujarat - Charanka Solar Park
On 19th April 2012, the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi dedicated the Charanaka Solar Project to the nation and hailed it as “Asia’s largest solar park”.
You can watch Modi’s full speech below:
Here are the key takeaways from Modi’s speech:
- The Charanka Solar Park has created jobs and led to a rise in wages for the local population.
- It has led to a rise in the market value of land around the solar park.
- Women’s tiffin services have seen a boost as over 10,000 people consumed their tiffin.
- Water harvesting facilities are being built at the park.
- A picnic centre and a ‘Surya Tirth’ inspired by the Modhera Sun Temple will be built.
How Gujarat Solar Park in Charanka Affected the Local Population?
In this section, we will highlight testimonials from people affected by the Gujarat – Charanka Solar Power Project and experts to illustrate its impact on the local population.
Water Scarcity
- As per the Mongabay report, the Kutch Branch Canal from the Narmada dam sends its water to another village instead of Charanka. This is contrary to the original plan.
- V.P. Kapadia, director of the SSNL, said there were difficulties in extending the canal at Charanka due to its undulating topography. Gravity made it difficult to lift water from 9 m to 30 m.
Land Deals
- As per the Mongabay report, people got drastically different compensation for their land.
- A villager alleged that middlemen made huge profits in the process. One of the villagers whose brother was a middleman said her brother bought land from villagers at Rs. 1,00,000 per acre and resold it for twice or thrice the amount.
Selling of Livestock
- Villagers had to sell their livestock when they heard about the construction of the solar park.
- As the source of revenue dried up, they had to leave the village in distress. (Source: Mongabay report)
Questions About Benefits Of Solar Electricity
- You may like to believe that solar electricity generated at Charanka Solar Power Project led to lower power tariffs for the locals. But the sarpanch (village head) of Charanka said that companies were selling power at Rs. 15 per unit. He said GPCL claimed to transfer Rs. 50 lakhs for CSR to the Collector’s office in Patan, but none of the money reached the villagers. (Source: Mongabay report)
Job Creation
- As per an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report, hundreds of jobs were created during the construction of the Charanka, Sankhari, and Jangral substations. The Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation (GETCO) said that over 3000 people worked for the contractors and unskilled labour was primarily hired from the region, including hundreds of women.
- However, there is a big question mark on the quality, number, and skill level of the jobs which remained after the solar park was successfully constructed. After the construction was over people were left with low-paying jobs such as security guards, technicians or grass-cutting.
To sum up, Gujarat Solar Park marked the beginning of India’s tryst with building solar parks. It was the first solar park in India and was followed by projects such as the Pavagada Solar Park, Bhadla Solar Park, and the Khavda Solar Park. Khavda Solar Park in Gujarat is on track to become the world’s largest solar park in the future. Together, these solar parks can make India a world leader in producing solar energy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the central government has been running “Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Power Projects” since December 2014 to help in developing solar parks.
Charanka Solar Park is about 100 km away from the India-Pakistan border.
Charanka Solar Park was commissioned on 31 December 2011.
Gujarat Solar Park has a solar power capacity of 730 MW and a wind power capacity of 4.2 MW. Another 20 MW of solar capacity are currently under development.
1 Comment
Abhishek Verma
I am delighted to read this blog.
Charanka is a proud moment in the history of India. Jai Hind!