Why Pavagada Solar Park is Critical for India’s Solar Future
The Shakti Sthala or popularly known as Pavagada Solar Park occupies an area of over 14,240 acres which can occupy an area that can subsume more than 280 Eden Gardens!
As one of the top 5 solar parks in the world in terms of capacity, it has over 6,66,000 solar panels. It started producing power in January 2018 and reached full capacity in December 2019. The whole project was operationalised in a short span of 2 years.
Here are some quick facts about the Pavagada Solar Plant:
Here is an aerial overview of Pavagada Shakti Sthala Solar Park:
Video Source: Tumakuru Tourism
Background of the Pavagada Solar Park
Karnataka Solar Power Development Corporation Limited (KSPDCL) was the central authority for the development of the Pavagada Solar Powered Park. The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL) created the KSPDCL as a joint venture in March 2015.
What is the Cost of Installing Pavagada Solar Park?
The Pavagada Solar Plant cost stood at Rs. 16,500 crore. The development of this solar park was a part of the “Karnataka Solar Policy 2014-2021” and included under the “Nava Karnataka Nirmana” campaign.
Crucial Details About Shakti Sthala or Solar Park at Pavagada
Here are the key details about the Pavagada Solar Plant:
What is the Capacity of the Pavagada Solar Park?
Here is the capacity of the solar plant:
Present Capacity:
The Pavagada Solar Park has a capacity of 2,050 MW. Initially, the plan was to develop the park with a capacity of 2000 MW on a barren land of 13000 acre. Later, an additional 50 MW capacity was included.
In the 1st phase of developing Pavagada solar plant, 600 MW capacity was installed in January 2018 while the deployment of full capacity happened in December 2019.
Future Expansion:
The Karnataka government is taking steps to increase the capacity of the solar park by 3 GW. It wants to install 2,500 MW in Rapte village and 500 MW in Inturayanahalli village.
Therefore, in terms of present capacity, the Pavagada Solar Energy Park is only 2nd to the Bhadla Solar Park. But it will soon be overtaken by the Khavda Solar Park.
What is the Area of the Pavagada Solar Park?
The Pavagada Solar Park area spans over 14,000 acres of land. An interesting aspect is that the area has not been acquired, but leased. Around 2,300 farmers have leased their land to the KSPDCL at Rs. 21,000 per acre per year for durations ranging from 25 to 35 years.
The lease can further be extended. 5 years after the project commences, the rent will be increased by 5% every 2 years.
The area of this solar park is spread across 5 villages. Here’s a breakdown:
In a bid to increase the Pavagada Solar Park capacity by 3 GW, the government wants to increase the capacity of the solar plant by 12,000 acres. It wants to lease more 10,000 acres in Rapte village and 2,000 acres in Inturayanahalli village.
What is the Location of the Pavagada Solar Park?
The Pavagada Solar Project is located in the Pavagada taluk of the Tumkur district of Karnataka. The geographical coordinates of park are 14.1◦N and 77.27◦E.
Agricultural productivity at Pavagada is low and it receives an excellent solar radiation of 5.5-6.0 kWh/m2 per day. Hence it was a natural choice for setting up a solar park.
Following is the location of the Pavagada Solar Park. You can zoom in this map to check how the solar park is located in a scattered manner through 5 villages in Pavagada. If you zoom in to Thirumani you can see the solar panel system arranged in a manner reflecting the logo of Tata. Just change the layout of the map to ‘Satelite Imagery’ from ‘Street Map’:
Here is the Pavagada Solar Park Layout:
Get the original copy of the Pavagada Solar Project Layout if you want to check it in detail.
Below we have listed some of the highlights of Pavagada Solar Plant’s location:
When Was the Shakti Sthala or Solar Park at Pavagada Approved?
The Government of Karnataka approved the leasing of land for the Pavagada Solar Powered Park on 29 October 2015. Rs. 14,800 was to be invested and it would lead to the creation of 8,000 jobs.
About 11,000 acres of land were identified for setting up the park. Out of this, 254 acres belonged to the government while the rest was privately owned. 40 acres of government land was allotted to the Power Grid Corporation of India and the remaining government land was allotted to KSPDCL on a yearly lease.
The government allowed the Pavagada Solar Project to use 1,110 litres of water per day from borewells.
Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) was given the responsibility to power the solar plant.
Which Contractors Were Involved at Pavagada Solar Park?
The following solar power developers have built solar projects at Karnataka’s Pavagada Solar Plant:
The Shakti Sthala is divided into 8 blocks of 250 MW each, which are further divided into subblocks of 50 MW.
The following contractors were involved in building the infrastructure of the solar plant:
Which Technologies Are Used at Pavagada Solar Park?
The solar panels at Shakti Sthala at either flat or installed at an angle of 15° southwards. All the 50 MW solar blocks are made of 4,99,995 First Solar FS-3100 solar panels and 1,66,668 Canadian Solar CS6X-300P solar panels.
Here are the key details about the solar panels:
Canadian Solar's CS6X-300P Solar Panels
- Every solar panel has 72 polycrystalline cells measuring 156 mm x 156 mm.
- Efficiency can go up to 15.63% and the optimum voltage is 36.1V.
- Anodised aluminium alloy is on the frame and the front cover comprises 3.2 mm tempered glass.
- Capacity of 300 W per solar panel.
First Solar's FS-3100 Solar Panels
- Advanced thin-film technology is used in these panels and they have 146 cells with cadmium sulfide/cadmium telluride (CdS/CdTe).
- The nominal power is 100W and the nominal voltage is 46.8V.
- A 3.2 mm heat-strengthened front glass is laminated to a 3.2 mm tempered back glass cover. It has an edge-seal encapsulation with Series 3 black laminate.
- Solar panels have a capacity of 100 W.
Curious about the types of solar panels available in the market? You can read our blog which covers all the details.
Other technologies used at the Shakti Sthala or Solar Park at Pavagada include:
- Ecoppia robots for cleaning solar panels
- Sub-stations built by L&T, Amararaja Power Systems etc.
- Waste management system
- Warehouse and storage facilities
- Power lines
Year-Wise Solar Power Generation in Pavagada Solar Park
Here’s a year-wise breakdown of the power generated by Karnataka’s Pavagada Solar Park:
*1 MU = 1 GWh = 1,000 MWh
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Who Does the Pavagada Solar Plant Supply Power?
Out of the total capacity of 2050 MW, the Pavagada Solar Plant supplies 1850 MW to ESCOMs of Karnataka and 200 MW to Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited. The power transmission is carried out with the help of power lines and substations.
5 Socio-Economic Impacts of Pavagada Solar Park
You may also be curious about the social, economic, and biological impact of the Pavagada Solar Park has made. Here are 5 ways in which it has impacted the region:
1. Socio-Economic Impact
As per a research paper published in 2019, the Karnataka government has declared a drought in Pavagada 54 times in the last 6 decades. It is a semi-arid tropical region where mainly crops with low profitability such as castor, pulses, millets, and groundnuts are grown. Because of the poor economic situation, several people leave Pavagada annually for better opportunities. They move to places like Bangalore and Hyderabad.
In the words of the then energy minister DK Shivakumar, “Over the last 5 decades, due to extreme weather conditions and low possibilities of economic growth, more than 10,000 people had migrated annually from Pavagada…This ambitious project, spanning five villages, looks at farmers as the key partners, as also beneficiaries. Shakti Sthala is creating new job opportunities and economic growth leading to the prosperity of the people of Pavagada.”
The installation of the Pavagada Solar Park has increased the market value of the land significantly. Because of the opportunity for a rise in economic standards, this project received a lot of cooperation from the locals.
Several farmers bought transport vehicles and JCBs and rented them to develop the park. Workers were employed for the construction and maintenance of the Pavagada Solar Plant.
2. Possibility of Property Disputes
As the lease is for a long duration, there can be disputes when property is passed on from one generation of a joint family to the next. Disputes can arise between solar developers and the farmers. If the disputes escalate, it can lead to legal issues in the future.
3. Water Usage and Livestock Rearing
One of the locals’ fears is that water from the local irrigation tanks will be depleted as it will be used to clean the solar panels. As per the Environment Impact Assessment for the Pavagada Solar Park, 7 crore litres of water will be needed to wash the solar panels every fortnight.
Shepherds have complained that the plant has restricted the movement of livestock for grazing. A young farmer in Vallur said that many people feel alienated from their land. The decrease in farming and livestock-rearing prospects has led to an increase in idleness among older people as it is the only thing they are good at.
4. Ecosystem
The flora and fauna in the region have been disturbed due to the solar park. Villagers near the Ramagiri West Forest Range warned that local animals such as jackals, rabbits, deer, and peacocks are disappearing due to the reduction of habitat, and local plants such as tamarind, wild ber, rose apple, and custard apple were uprooted during the installation of the solar plant.
As per a news report, pollinators such as bees and butterflies had disappeared while the park was being constructed. It led to reduced farm yields for 2 years.
5. Real Estate
As the capacity of the solar park increases, the interest of real estate players will also increase and could lead to attempts by real estate businesses to acquire land in the region. Real estate businesses can become important stakeholders in the development of solar capacity in the region.
Pavagada Solar Park reduces CO2 emissions by 3.6 million tons annually. It produces about 4.5 billion units of solar electricity every year. Pavagada highlights India’s commitment to counter greenhouse gas emissions and meet its international renewable energy commitments. The cost of developing the solar park at Pavagada is over Rs. 16,000 crore.
If solar electricity excites you, then you too should reap the benefits of the sun’s abundance of energy. Most Indian households can completely meet their power demands with a 3-5 kW solar system. You can read our blog to know about the home solar installation cost or other aspects regarding solar installation.
If you are interested in starting a solar business of your own, read our guide on starting a solar business.
Do you have any queries related to solar systems or want us to write on a particular topic? Write us an email at connect@dasenergie.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
The park comprises First Solar FS-3100 solar panels and Canadian Solar CS6X-300P solar panels.
Annually it generates over 4500 million units of electricity. In 2023-24, it generated almost 4600 million units of electricity.
Pavagada Solar Plant is also known as Shakti Sthala.
It is around 180 km away from Bengaluru.
Yes, there are plans to increase its capacity by 3 GW.
1 Comment
Shekhar Verma
Pavagada is indeed very important for India. Thanks for this blog. Very informative.